TBILISI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th March, 2023) Georgian protesters in the center of Tbilisi have demanded that the incumbent government resign and early parliamentary elections be held as the Georgian leadership deviates from the European path, one of the protesters said on Thursday.
Georgia's parliament on Tuesday adopted a controversial draft law on transparency of foreign influence by a majority vote in the first reading. Under the law, a list of individuals and entities receiving financing from abroad would be created. The move triggered mass protests and concerns among the opposition, fearing it would allow the government to suppress the work of non-governmental organizations and activists in the country. According to Georgia's Ministry of Interior, 133 people were detained during protests on Tuesday and Wednesday.
"We choose a European future, and the incumbent leadership is deviating from the European path. Extraordinary parliamentary elections and the resignation of the government are necessary," one of the protesters said in a televised appearance on Georgia's media.
On Thursday morning, protesters gathered again near the parliament building in Tbilisi and demanded that all those detained be immediately released and a plenary session to withdraw the bill on foreign agents be held.
The Georgian Internal Ministry said on Thursday that all 133 protesters have been released.
The ruling Georgian Dream party also said on Thursday that the bill on foreign agents has been withdrawn from the parliament. The decision to withdraw the draft law was mainly driven by the party's concern over the security of people amid mass protests in the country. Lawmakers must vote against the draft law at the plenary session so that the bill be finally withdrawn. The Georgian parliament scheduled the plenary session on the bill for Friday. The session will be held at 12:00 p.m. local time (08:00 GMT). Initially, the press office of the parliament said that the plenary session would not be held this week due to the damage caused during the protests.
However, protesters announced another rally in front of the parliament building on Friday morning and called on everyone to gather at around 12:00 p.m. local time, one of the protesters said in a televised appearance on Georgia's media.
The United States, the European Union, and NATO welcomed the withdrawal of the draft legislation on foreign agents in Georgia and encouraged Georgia's political leaders to work together on the reforms toward European integration.
