Thousands of people have marched through Georgia's capital Tbilisi calling on the government to scrap a divisive bill. Critics of the so-called "foreign agents" bill say it is authoritarian and could halt Georgia’s plans to join the European Union.

Tbilisi

Thousands of individuals participated in a march through Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, to voice their objection against a contentious legislative proposal. The bill in question, often referred to as the "foreign agents" bill, has been met with significant criticism. Opponents argue that it embodies authoritarian principles and could jeopardize Georgia's aspirations of joining the European Union.

The demonstrations in Tbilisi, sparked by the bill and growing in strength, have been organized by various opposition parties and rights groups. These entities are united in their goal to compel the Georgian government to abandon the proposed legislation, which they claim parallels a Russian law used to suppress dissent. Protesters assert that embracing the bill would divert Georgia from its Euro-centric path, undermining values of justice and governance that prioritize the welfare of the citizenry over the state.

Under the proposed law, any organization receiving over 20% of its funding from foreign sources would be mandated to register as a "foreign agent," or else face punitive fines. This stipulation poses a threat to numerous non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that, according to critics, have significantly contributed to Georgia's societal and democratic development. There are concerns that the law would enable the Ministry of Justice to arbitrarily close down such organizations.

The European Union has issued a warning that the enactment of this bill could severely impact Georgia's eligibility for EU membership, an objective the nation has been striving towards, having been granted candidate status in the recent past. Despite opposition, the bill has progressed through the Georgian Parliament, where the ruling party, Georgian Dream, possesses the majority required to enact laws independently of opposition parties. This majority also enables the ruling party to potentially override any presidential veto, a power dynamic highlighted amidst growing tensions and international scrutiny.



Georgians ‘march for Europe’ in protest against controversial bill

Days of anti-government protests in Georgia's capital Tbilisi are gaining momentum. Organised by opposition parties and rights groups in the former Soviet Republic, they aim to force the governing party to drop the so-called Foreign Agents Bill. Demonstrators say it's authoritarian and similar to a law Russia uses to crush dissent. I want to show the position of my family, no, to Russia. Our path and future is in Europe because we need the European justice and European order, where the system serves the people and not the other way around. The system doesn't serve the people. The proposed legislation would require organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as foreign agents or face fines. There are hundreds of such NGOs who have done so much good for Georgia and now they face being stigmatised and also possibly shut down because the law gives the powers to the Ministry of Justice to shut any of them at their discretion. The European Union has warned passing the bill could undermine Georgia's bid to join the bloc. It was granted candidate status in December. The governing party Georgian Dream has a majority in Parliament, allowing it to approve laws without opposition MPs' support. It can also vote down a presidential veto should pro-EU president Salome Zurabishvili block the bill. Even so, the party announced its own rally on Monday to shore up support before a second reading of the bill in Parliament. Barbara Angopa, Al Jazeera.

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