Parliament official says bill drafted by ruling Georgian Dream party will be entirely identical to US Foreign Agents Registration Act

Givi Mikanadze, the Chair of the Parliament’s Committee on Education, Science and Youth Affairs, on Tuesday said that the bill drafted by the ruling Georgian Dream party would be entirely identical to the United States Foreign Agents Registration Act, aiming to enhance transparency and public accountability.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Mikanadze explained that the decision had been made due to ongoing speculation and criticism surrounding the domestic transparency law.

“If the public compares this bill with the law that the Georgian Dream passed last year with the overwhelming support of the public [the transparency law], they will see that the enacted law is much more liberal compared to the one currently in force in the United States”, the Parliament official said.

He further noted that during a conference in Strasbourg, the representatives of the Venice Commission acknowledged that the law meets the standards and values essential for democratic principles.

Mikanadze emphasised that the existing law in Georgia was significantly more liberal than FARA, as it only imposed financial responsibilities on legal entities without restricting their activities.

“Under the current legislation, the only responsibility outlined is financial, meaning penalties apply exclusively to legal entities. There is also a provision ensuring that no matter how the law is violated, it will never result in the suspension of any organisation’s activities. They will continue to operate freely”, he said.

“However, when discussing a bill that fully mirrors FARA, anyone who neutrally reviews this proposal will see that it is a much stricter law. It imposes responsibilities not only on legal entities but also on individuals, and the penalties are not limited to fines. Certain cases could even lead to criminal liability”, the Parliament official continued.

Mikanadze noted that despite its leniency, the law had faced continuous criticism from political opponents. To counter this, the ruling Georgian Dream party had opted to adopt the American model in its entirety.

“In this case, we made a political decision to adopt the exact same law that is purely American in origin. No one will be able to accuse us of altering even a single word from the law currently in effect in the United States”, he concluded.

Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said the United States Foreign Agents Registration Act would be initiated this week in the legislative body.