Georgian President calls rally of ruling party in Tbilisi "Putin's action"
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has called today's rally in Tbilisi by the ruling Georgian Dream party, which is promoting the scandalous bill, a "Putin's action."
According to Ukrinform, she expressed her opinion on the social network X.
"Yesterday, the 15th day of mass spontaneous protests against the 'Russian law' and for the European future of Georgia. Today is Putin's 'action', for which civil servants were bused to Tbilisi to applaud the ruling party's decisions. Real Georgia is a free Georgia, a European Georgia!" Zourabichvili wrote.
NewsGeogia adds that the ruling party calls today's event a "national assembly." The main goal is to demonstrate that the majority of society supports the draft law on "foreign agents" and other controversial initiatives that, according to critics, move the country away from Europe.
It should be noted that many of the participants in this rally were brought to the capital from the regions in an organized manner.
According to opposition media, civil servants were forced to attend the rally. "The Georgian Dream party promised that at least 100,000 people would join the rally. According to fact-checkers, up to 107,000 people took part in yesterday's rally demanding the withdrawal of the draft law on "foreign agents." All of them came of their own free will without additional mobilization.
As Ukrinform reported, on April 17, the Georgian parliament approved the law on "foreign agents" in the first reading. The document was supported by 83 deputies, none voted against.
According to the draft law, organizations representing the interests of a "foreign power" are non-business (non-profit) legal entities; broadcasters; media owners whose source of more than 20% of their total income during the calendar year is a "foreign power." The re-initiation of the draft law in early April this year led to protests in Tbilisi. Critics consider the draft law to be similar to the legislation on "foreign agents" adopted in Russia in 2012.
Consideration of the document in the second reading is scheduled for Tuesday, April 30.
Photo: AA