Representatives of the “People’s Power” movement, formed by the deputies who left “Georgian Dream” but remaining in the parliamentary majority, announced on 14 February that they have drafted a bill on the activities of foreign-funded organizations.

"We are aware of the draft legislation in Georgian parliament and are deeply concerned about its implications for freedom of speech and democracy in Georgia. We have expressed these concerns to the Government of Georgia. The proposed law would stigmatize and silence independent voices of citizens of Georgia who are dedicated to building a better future for their communities. We believe such a law could potentially undermine Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration," a State Department Spokesperson told the Accent.

The “People’s Power” movement claims that the bill will be "based on the best Western practices and American legislation".

According to the State Department Spokesperson, statements that this legislation is based on the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) in the United States are patently false.

"In fact, this draft legislation appears to be based on similar Russian and Hungarian legislation," the Spokesperson added.

It should be noted that representatives of the “People’s Power” movement did not say anything about the fact that a similar law was recently enacted in the occupying country of Georgia - Russia, on the basis of which hundreds of journalists, opposition activists, media and non-governmental organizations were declared as "foreign agents" and in fact all those who criticize the government's policy (on the basis of this law) is a subject to punishment in the best case - in the form of a fine and prohibition of activity, and in the worst case - in the form of prison terms.

Opposition political parties, the media, and CSOs have voiced their criticism regarding the bill. Some of them said if it passed, it will jeopardize the country’s EU integration and democracy.