Political scientist named the version of the riots taking place in Georgia

Leonid Radzikhovsky listed the oddities of the “Georgian Maidan”

Georgian unrest began on the evening of March 7. More than a thousand people gathered near the building of the Georgian parliament in Tbilisi, armed with Molotov cocktails, they expressed their disagreement with the adoption of the bill on “foreign agents” in the first reading. Trying to break into parliament, the crowd threw Molotov cocktails at the police. Law enforcement officers “extinguished” the protesters with water cannons, rubber bullets and tear gas. As a result of the actions of the protesters, 50 policemen were injured. More than 60 people were detained at a rally in the center of Tbilisi. Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili supported the protesters and said she would veto the law. The President announced this in a video message, which she recorded in front of the Statue of Liberty in New York.

The harsh dispersal of Tbilisi demonstrators and the law on “foreign agents” adopted the day before that caused unrest is commented on political scientist Leonid Radzikhovsky.

– In dispersal with water cannons, tear gas and other pleasures known to all Western democracy, Georgia proved to be a worthy student of European values, – political scientist Leonid Radzikhovsky told MK. – Democratic governments in the West with demonstrators are certainly no softer, in fact, much tougher than even in Russia – everyone knows that. Since Georgia is following the happy Western path, at least in this respect they are quite worthy of joining the European Union.

The draft law, approved by the majority of deputies (76/13), obliges the registration of legal entities and media outlets with a share of foreign funding above 20%. If they refuse to register, they face fines. The bill was initiated by the “anti-Western” parliamentary majority, including the ruling Georgian Dream party. Opponents of the bill compare it with a similar Russian law.

“I don’t understand what is the point of Georgians passing this law when a huge number of people in their country earn much more than 20% and work abroad, in Russia in particular,” continues Leonid Radzikhovsky. – Rather, this law is anti-Russian, because many Georgians still have income in Russia.

What a strange vote: the fact that 76 deputies voted for, 13 – against, a third of the Georgian parliament, it turns out, did not vote at all? Radzikhovsky asks questions. All this became extremely strange for the political scientist, since this law was pushed through by the ruling Georgian Dream party – and it is considered “pro-Russian”. Also surprising is the position of the President of Georgia, who joined the side of the protesters. A thousand protesters, in the opinion of a political scientist, is too small a figure, this is such a “Maidan in Georgian”. Although, what is happening in Tbilisi, the expert calls a cruel political life. “For example, Saakashvili, they kill slowly but surely. In his time, he treated his opponents no better – this is a cruel political life.

“Maybe this whole story is just an excuse for the ruling party to topple the president. In Georgia, the president has few powers, rather it is a symbolic figure. It is quite possible that this “Dream” is digging for President Zurabishvili in this way. The fact that her political splits with Mechta are clear is quite obvious. The law itself has become a provocation, and the President of Georgia will be impeached,” Radzikhovsky sums up.

Voting on the second version of the draft law on “foreign agents” will take place in Tbilisi on March 9.