Georgia’s Parliament bans NGOs from participating in government-related decisions

Georgia’s Parliament, which has no opposition, has formally passed amendments to 14 existing laws to remove rights for civil society organizations to participate in the decision-making processes of government agencies. These legislative changes were introduced by the ruling Georgian Dream party.

The bill was supported by 81 of the 150 members of parliament. The amendments address provisions that previously required the mandatory participation of civil society representatives in the activities of public authorities. In particular, the amendments prevent civil society organizations from nominating their representatives to the Council of Prosecutors and the disciplinary board of general jurisdiction courts.

The explanatory note to the draft law says that the participation of non-governmental experts in the formation of state policy may pose a “threat to the sovereignty” of the state. Lawmakers state that most NGOs are funded from abroad and “represent the interests of foreign states and donor agencies.” The authors of the draft law purport that such participation in decision-making “does not reflect the interests of Georgian society” but “promotes the political and economic interests of external players.”

As reported earlier, during the London Book Fair, International Publishers Association President and Georgian publisher Gvantsa Jobava criticized the Georgian Writers’ House and the Ministry of Culture for representing the government rather than Georgian publishers.

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Source: NewsGeorgia

Main image: Echo of Caucasus

Copy editing: Terra Friedman King