Page 11 - GEORptJul22

continue all the reforms, many of which "were already on the association's agenda".
Garibashvili later moved on to blame the opposition for its alleged negative role in the issue of obtaining candidate status, saying that the opposition asked MEPs not to grant Georgia candidate status. As an example, he named the United National Movement and the MP Lelo Salome Samadashvili. "Meet the country's traitor," the prime minister said of the latter. Hee also mentioned the critical resolution adopted by the European Parliament and stated that the European People's Party, with recommendations from the National Movement, "prepared the most shameful text, a direct triumph of injustice. This is proof that these people did not want Georgia to get the status of a candidate” for EU membership, he said.
President Salome Zurabishvili said that Garibashvili's speech in parliament was "absurd and very offensive in its content". "We are the best, we did everything well, we don’t have any problems, we are much better than your Ukraine and Moldova, we don’t understand why they are ahead of us, the only thing is probably because you wanted war and we don’t want it," she summarised the speech. "The European partners expected one simple thing from Georgia so that the political will was expressed, that we read the recommendations and analyse it," she said. “This does not mean that we will take everything for granted, but we are ready all together, non-polarised and non-confrontational, to do what we must do at the end of the year,” she said. According to the president, instead, she herself was surprised by the prime minister's speech.
2.5 Georgian president vetoes ‘Surveillance Bill’
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili vetoed amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure adopted by the parliament on June 7, which would increase the period of secret investigative actions from six to nine months and allow for covert investigations into another 27 types of crimes. Announcing her decision at a briefing today, Salome Zurabishvili said her veto power, which the president used for the first time since taking office in 2018, should be seen as her opinion on the bill, which restricts human rights.
“I know that the veto will be overridden, but every law that is passed in the wrong direction in these six months, I will veto and explain why I am vetoing,” the president said, naming the deadline given to the authorities of the ruling Georgian Dream for the fulfilment of the EU conditions in order for Georgia to obtain the status of a candidate member of the EU. “These days, a law cannot be adopted in Georgia that further restricts human rights, when, on the contrary, we are asked to give more guarantees in this direction, to be more democratic and European,” Zurabishvili added.
A few days ago, non-governmental organisations also called on the president to veto, noting that "[the changes] are not in line with international human rights standards and the practice of the European Court of Human Rights."
11 GEORGIA Country Report July 2022 www.intellinews.com