Parliament of the Georgian Dream supported the Russian law in the third reading too. 84 deputies were in favor, and 30 were against. 116 deputies registered.
The next stage is to send the project to the president. It is known that Salome Zurabishvili will veto the Russian law. Accordingly, it will be returned to the parliament for consideration, which means that the law cannot yet be active.
The third hearing took place in the parliament amid noise and controversy. During the voting, the shouts of the opposition deputies “no Russian law” and the applause of the Georgian Dream deputies could be heard. After voting, the parliament session ended.
At the same time, citizens protesting against the Russian law gathered at the legislative body.
After the Georgian Dream broke the promise given to the population and re-initiated the Russian law, the protests in front of the parliament are going on non-stop. The only difference between the project and the previous year is that the concept of “agent of foreign influence” has been replaced by the concept of “organization carrying out the interests of a foreign power”.
Citizens have been asking the government for more than a month to withdraw the law that harms the country and its pro-Western course. The authorities repeatedly used physical force against them, as well as tear gas, pepper spray and water cannons. Journalists and many participants of the rally were physically assaulted during the rallies. In addition, citizens protesting the Russian law were called, threatened and cursed from hidden numbers. Several people were met by unknown persons at their houses and physically assaulted. Another method of scaring people was to make insulting and hateful inscriptions, hang posters near their homes or offices.
During this period, in fact, there was no sphere whose representatives did not express a position against the draft law. University students also went on strike. The statements of the country’s strategic partners are also critical, they openly started talking about sanctions. Despite this, Georgian Dream announced that it would pass the law.
It was in connection with the draft law and not only that, disinformation, anti-Western and propaganda narratives were spread by the honorary chairman of the party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, who gave a speech at the counter organized by the government.