Georgia's president stops the agent law

 

Georgia

Georgia's president stops the agent law

Martin Palmborg

Updated 16.58 | Published 16.10

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili puts her foot down and stops the parliament's decision. Photo: AP

Earlier this week, Georgia's parliament hammered through the controversial agent law.

But now the country's president, Salome Zourabichvili, is vetoing it.

"It goes against our constitution," she says, according to the Russian state news agency Tass.

In recent weeks, tens of thousands of demonstrators have filled the streets of the capital Tbilisi in protest against the agent law.

The bill forces organizations that receive 20 percent or more of their income from abroad to be classified as "agents under foreign influence" and entails extra tough scrutiny by the state.

During Tuesday, it was hammered through in the country's parliament, which was praised by the Kremlin, while the US and several EU countries criticized the decision.

But now Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has vetoed the agent law, writes the Russian state news agency Tass.

“This team is Russian in its essence and spirit. It goes against our constitution and all European standards," she says, according to the news agency.

 

For several weeks, large protests against the law have been organized. Photo: Zurab Tsertsvadze / AP

..................................................................................................................................................................

 

Political situation in Georgia
Georgia president vetoes 'agent law'

Georgian President Salomé Zurabishvili vetoes the controversial "agent law", state-run Russian TASS reports, according to Reuters.

However, the ruling Georgian Dream party has enough of a majority in parliament to override the president's veto, and is expected to do so in the coming days, according to the AP.

According to Zurabishvili, who is increasingly on the verge of Georgian Dream, the bill goes against the constitution and "all European standards".

The proposal, which would require organizations with more than 20 percent foreign funding to register as "foreign agents", has sparked huge protests.

For several weeks, tens of thousands of pro-EU demonstrators have marched in protest against the bill, which they see as a rapprochement with Russia, where a similar law is used to silence and repress the opposition.