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https://theconversation.com/georgia-foreign-agent-law-protests-show-disconnect-between-pro-moscow-government-and-west-leaning-population-201430>
"The Georgian government has been forced to withdraw its controversial “foreign
agent” law after days of mass protests against what many saw as
Russian-inspired legislation which would limit press freedom, making its
chances of ever joining the European Union near impossible.
Over two nights this week, thousands of protesters have packed the streets of
Tbilisi demanding “No to Russian law”. Riot police used teargas and water
cannons. More than 60 people were detained. But the scale of protests led the
ruling Georgian Dream party to back down, saying in a statement it would
“unconditionally withdraw the bill we supported without any reservations”.
The bill, which had only recently been introduced by the Georgian government,
would prevent non-government groups and the media from taking more than 20% of
funding from abroad. It is similar to a law passed in Russia in 2022 which has
been used to crack down on media freedom.
Georgia was once the darling of the international community – a shining example
of how a post-Soviet country could overcome a legacy of corruption and
authoritarianism, and come back from the brink of state failure.
But Georgia’s relationship with the west started to change after billionaire
businessman, Bidzina Ivanishvili – Georgia’s richest man – came to power in
2012 (and holds de facto power as the leader of the Georgian Dream party,
despite officially stepping down in 2013). Initially Ivanishvili appeared to be
trying to build good relations with the west. But he did so while also
maintaining close relations with Moscow on the grounds that this was critical
to Georgia’s security.
Experts I interviewed, during a visit to Georgia in late 2022, claimed that
Ivanishvili has no intention of ceding power. Thus, remaining friendly with
Russia serves this objective better than trying to please the west – which has
always come with strings attached such as adhering to human rights and ensuring
the integrity of elections."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
