STORY: Footage broadcast on Georgian television showed Mamuka Mdinaradzeleader of the parliamentary faction of the ruling Georgian Dream party, and one of the driving forces behind the bill, was punched in the face by opposition MP Aleko Elisashvili while speaking from the box. ‘sending.
The incident sparked a wider brawl between several lawmakers, an occasional occurrence in Georgia’s often raucous parliament.
Georgian Dream announced earlier this month that it would reintroduce legislation requiring organizations that accept funds from abroad to register as foreign agents or face fines, 13 months after protests l forced the project to be suspended.
He says the bill is necessary to combat what he calls “pseudo-liberal values” imposed by foreigners and to promote transparency.
The bill has strained relations with European countries and the United States, which have said they are opposed to its passage. The European Union, which granted Georgia candidate status in December, said the move was incompatible with the bloc’s values.
In a statement, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze defended the bill as promoting accountability, and said it was “unclear” why Western countries opposed it.
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