Georgian Prime Minister announces legal reforms to safeguard majority from minority overreach

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Monday said that while everyone was entitled to express their protest within the framework of the law, both domestic legislation and international standards emphasised one principle - if a protest lacks sufficient representation, participants must respect the interests of the majority.

In his remarks, Kobakhidze further explained that if the number of protesters was not enough to justify blocking a street, they should respect other members of society and refrain from obstructing traffic.

“Our legislation has long stated, in line with international standards, that if the number of people is insufficient to block a street, they must respect other members of society and not obstruct the road”, the PM said.

“However, as you can see, fines were previously in place, and they were not fully effective. Accordingly, amendments are being introduced to both administrative and criminal law to ensure that the largest minority does not impose its will on the largest majority - this is an expression of the principles of democracy”, he concluded.