Tbilisi, April 16, 2024 (AFP)
Georgian lawmakers on Tuesday agreed an early draft of a controversial "foreign influence" bill, sparking fresh street protests against the legislation criticised for mirroring a repressive Russian law.
The bill has sparked outrage in Georgia and concern in the West, with many arguing it undermines Georgia's bid for European Union membership.
Lawmakers voted 78 to 25 to approve the draft bill for further debate.
Whistling and shouting, "No to the Russian law!" thousands rallied in the evening outside the parliament building in Tbilisi, blocking traffic on the main thoroughfare of the Georgian capital.
Riot police cordoned off entrances to the legislature and demonstrators briefly scuffled with them, attempting to push against the police line, an AFP journalist witnessed.
"Georgians will never accept this Russian law," said one of the demonstrators, university student Kote Tatishvili.
"We, peaceful demonstrators, will prevail, we will force Russian stooges in the (ruling party) Georgian Dream to withdraw the law," he said.
On Monday, police detained 14 demonstrators as some 10,000 people took to the streets.
- 'Further away from EU' -
The European Union has called on Tbilisi not to pass the legislation, saying it contradicts the democratic reforms the country is required to pursue to progress on its path towards EU membership.
Renewing Brussels' criticism of the proposals, EU chief Charles Michel said Tuesday: "The draft Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence is not consistent with Georgia's EU aspiration and its accession trajectory."
It "will bring Georgia further away from the EU and not closer," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter
The ruling Georgian Dream party controls 84 seats in the 150-member legislature and can pass the law without opposition backing.
If adopted, the bill will require any independent NGO and media organisation that receives more than 20 percent of funding from abroad to register as an "organisation pursuing the interests of a foreign power."
That was a change from last year's proposal, which used the term "agent of foreign influence."
The term "foreign agent" is rooted in the Soviet past and suggests such people are traitors and enemies of the state.
A similar law is used in Russia to punish government critics and suffocate independent media.
In December, the EU granted Georgia official candidate status but said Tbilisi would have to reform its judicial and electoral systems, reduce political polarisation, improve press freedom and curtail the power of oligarchs before membership talks are formally launched.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said last week that passing the law would "derail Georgia from its European path."
In a surprise move ahead of October's parliamentary elections seen as key democratic test, the ruling party re-introduced the bill in parliament earlier this month.
It was forced to drop a similar measure last year, following mass protests that saw police use water cannon and tear gas against demonstrators.
A former Soviet republic, Georgia has sought for years to deepen relations with the West, but the current ruling party is accused of trying to steer the Black Sea nation toward closer ties with Russia.
Traditionally seen as a leader of democratic transformation among ex-Soviet countries, Georgia has in recent years been criticised for perceived democratic backsliding.

Sumber : AFP