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CNN
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Georgian lawmakers clashed in parliament on Monday as ruling party members poised to press ahead with a controversial “foreign agent” bill that has been criticized by Western countries and sparked protests in the country.
Footage broadcast on Georgian television shows Mamuka Mdinaradze, a faction leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party and a driving force behind the bill, being punched in the face by opposition lawmaker Aleko Elisashvili while speaking from a delivery box. It was reflected.
The incident sparked a larger brawl between several lawmakers, an occasional occurrence at the often-raucous Georgia State Capitol. Footage showed Mr Elisashvili being cheered by demonstrators outside the parliament building.
Earlier this month, Georgian Dream announced it would reintroduce legislation that would require organizations accepting foreign funding to register as foreign agents, or else, 13 months after protests forced it to shelve its plans. It was announced that a fine would be imposed.
The bill has strained relations with European countries and the United States, which have said they oppose its passage. The European Union, which granted Georgia candidate status in December, said the move was inconsistent with EU values.
Georgian Dream says it wants to deepen ties with Russia and see the country join the EU and NATO, despite facing accusations of authoritarianism at home. The bill says it is needed to combat what it calls “pseudo-liberal values” imposed by foreigners and promote transparency.
Shak Aivazov/AP
A demonstrator holds a giant EU flag outside the Georgia state capitol on Monday.
The Georgian government announced that Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze met with the ambassadors of the EU, UK and US on Monday to discuss the bill.
In a statement, Kobakhidze defended the bill as promoting accountability and said it was “not clear” why Western countries would oppose it.
Georgian critics have dubbed the bill the “Russia Law” and compared it to similar legislation used by the Kremlin to crack down on dissent in Russia.
Russia is widely unpopular in Georgia because of Moscow’s support for the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia defeated Georgia in a short war in 2008.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside Parliament House ahead of a large protest called by civil society groups for Monday night.
If approved by members of parliament’s legal affairs committee, which is controlled by Georgian Dream and its allies, the foreign agents bill could proceed to first reading in parliament.
Georgia is scheduled to hold elections by October. Opinion polls show Georgian Dream remains the most popular party, but has lost ground since 2020, when it narrowly won a majority.
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