(DailyDig.com) – For weeks, Georgians have been protesting in the streets of their country as the government’s parliament discussed and passed a controversial bill known as the “foreign agent” bill. Georgia’s president, Salome Zourabichvili, had stated that she would veto the bill.
Any organization that receives more than twenty percent of its funding from other countries would be required by the bill to register as foreign agents or face business-crippling fines. Critics state that it is the same tactic that Russia uses to eliminate any opposition to its power.
On May 14, after the bill passed 84 to 30, protesters escalated their anger by smashing barriers and breaking into the parliament grounds in the capital city of Tbilisi. The European Union’s warning that it might not approve their entry into the EU if the bill becomes law fuels the opposition to the bill.
Many protesters fear that the law could eliminate the government’s opposition, similar to what has happened in Russia. If Zourabichvili vetoes the bill within the two weeks allowed, parliament can easily override her veto with a simple majority vote.
Polling in Georgia has shown that about eighty percent of the population wants to join their country with the EU. However, the strength of Russia’s political and cultural influence on the country makes it resilient to change.
The public will have the chance to overturn the law in the elections scheduled for October, regardless of whether the president’s signature or a veto-proof vote approves it. In an interview, Zourabichvili stated that citizens must mobilize in order to win the elections that will install the parliament and vote as their constituents want.
Georgia, a former republic of the Soviet Union, was given the status of a candidate for the EU when it applied in 2022. People perceived this as an attempt to reverse Georgia’s previous trend towards Russia. The US government also cautioned Georgia about the bill’s potential to be perceived as a surrender of its democracy.
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