Georgia adopts controversial ‘foreign agents’ law amid brawls and protests

Georgia’s parliament adopted the highly controversial ‘foreign agents’ bill, on Tuesday (May 14) despite weeks of, often violent, protests, which has been criticised for being similar to Russia’s repressive legislation used to silence dissent.

Controversial bill adopted

Lawmakers voted 84 to 30 to pass the law in its third and final reading, a live broadcast of the parliamentary session showed, according to AFP. The legislation was adopted in the 150-member parliament where the ruling Georgian Dream party and its allies have a majority.

While Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili criticised the bill and said she would veto it, it won’t make a difference.

Georgia’s government is a parliamentary system, where the president is a nominal head, not to mention the fact that the parliament, which is controlled by the ruling party, can override her veto.

The so-called ‘foreign agents’ law now requires organisations, including media outlets, nonprofits and other non-governmental organisations receiving more than 20 per cent of their funding from abroad to register as bodies “pursuing the interests of a foreign power.”

Since April, thousands of Georgians have staged near-nightly protests against the proposed legislation.

However, the government has argued that the law is needed to promote transparency, combat “pseudo-liberal values” promoted by foreigners and preserve the country’s sovereignty.

Watch: Brawl breaks out in parliament

Georgia television broadcast had earlier shown scuffles breakout between the MPs of the ruling party and the opposition lawmakers, who pushed each other and gesticulated angrily during debates on the bill.

A clip from the parliament shows dozens of lawmakers moving towards two Members of Parliament to break up what appeared to be a fistfight.

Subsequently, another altercation began where two other lawmakers began hitting each other, while those around can be seen pointing fingers and arguing.

Protests outside

While lawmakers were fighting inside the parliament, around 1,000 protesters picketed the fortress-like parliament building with a massive police presence and water cannon, reported Reuters.

Upon hearing that the bill had passed, the demonstrators gathered reportedly yelled “Slaves!” and “Russians!”

The legislation pitched by the ruling Georgian Dream party threatens the country’s bid to join the European Union. A report by Reuters citing a poll also said that Georgia’s 3.7 million people back EU accession.

So far, the United States, Britain, Germany, Italy and France have urged Georgia to withdraw the bill.

Baltic, Iceland ministers head to Georgia

On Tuesday, ministers from the countries in the Baltics and Iceland said they would head to Georgia to urge Tbilisi to scrap the bill warning that it will derail the ex-Soviet republic’s chances of joining the EU, Lithuania’s top diplomat told AFP.

The bill is “incompatible with the country’s pro-European direction,” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told the news agency.

He added, “Today, we are travelling to Georgia with the Icelandic, Estonian and Latvian (foreign) ministers to express our concerns to politicians and meet with civil society.”

On Wednesday, the ministers plan to meet the Georgian president as well as the head of the parliament and the foreign minister and are also expected to join thousands of people protesting the law.

(With inputs from agencies)