The president’s veto will be “rejected” by the majority, she specifies, but this gesture must make it possible to “mark” her position on the subject, “which is that today of the vast majority of the Georgian population “.
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“Institutionally, the only instrument I have at hand is the veto, which I will use”indicates Wednesday May 15 on franceinfo the president of Georgia, Salomé Zourabichvili, after the adoption Tuesday of the controversial bill on“foreign influence”. The law is similar, critics say, to legislation passed in Russia to suppress the opposition.
The president’s veto will be “rejected” by the majority, she specifies, but this gesture must make it possible to “to mark” his position on the subject, “which is that of the vast majority of the Georgian population today”.
“The real decision will come at the polls, since we have elections very soon, on October 26. What is important is that the population during these elections says what they want. Do they want this kind of law, this kind of speech towards our long-standing partners, this reorientation of Georgian policy or does it want to remain in what has been its orientation until now, it is that is to say Europe, always Europe”continues Salomé Zourabichvili.
“This law goes directly against the recommendations we received from the European Union when we received candidate status”recalls the President of Georgia. “Instead of applying this road map – which involves a certain number of reforms on which we should work hard – the government is bringing back a law which was revoked last year”she adds. “They are bringing it out at a time when we need to score points towards the EU. This whole approach is seen as an imitation of Russia.”
Demonstrations therefore take place every evening in Tbilisi to denounce the law. During these protest movements, “degeneration can only come from those who are responsible for public order because these are extremely peaceful demonstrations”according to Salomé Zourabichvili. “There is a very, very serious problem which is that there are unlisted forces, without insignia and without means of identification, which are occurring with unimaginable brutality and which risk causing an escalation of violence.” Georgia’s president will make a statement on Thursday calling for “up to the police to take their responsibilities and avoid a spiral of violence.”
