Georgian Parliament to consider law on foreign agents in final reading

Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs Henri Ohanashvili has said that the Georgian Parliament will consider the draft law "On Transparency of Foreign Influence" in its third and final reading on May 13.

"The bill will be put to a vote on third reading on 13 May, which only provides for editorial amendments," he said, Interfax reports.

Opponents of the adoption of the law on foreign agents intend to start a large-scale rally in front of parliament on May 11, counting on the participation of opposition supporters from the regions.

One of the opposition leaders, Giorgi Vashadze, told reporters that if the law is passed, the US will impose personal sanctions on MPs who vote in favour of the document, as well as on the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili.

On 1 May, the Georgian parliament adopted the draft law in the second reading. The arguments of opposition MPs to block the document proved insufficient for the parliamentary majority.

The crisis around the draft law in Georgia has been going on for more than 20 days. Daily protests against the adoption of the document are being held in Tbilisi. The protesters say that they will not allow the pro-European course of the country to change.

Supporters of the initiative in the government believe that the protest was paid for by foreign funds, while the law itself is needed to ensure transparency and accountability of non-governmental organisations.

The US State Department warned that the adoption of the bill would jeopardise the development of US-Georgian relations.