Parliament Speaker signs vetoed surveillance bill
Parliament Speaker signs vetoed surveillance bill

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday signed a surveillance bill, which was vetoed by President Zourabichvili on 22 June this year.

The Speaker said, “it is rare when the President does not sign the bill despite being overridden,” claiming that neither the Venice Commission, the President, nor any actor said this law contradicts any European law.

“If the Parliament, as the highest legislative body, confirms its decision and does not share the remarks [by the president], in this case, there is no reason not to sign the law,” he stated.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili believes a ruling party bill extends scope and time limits on covert investigative actions and “further restricts human rights.”

She said: “This is more of a political veto than a legal one. There can be no law in Georgia these days that further restricts human rights when we are asked to give more guarantees in this direction, to be more democratic, and more European.”

The Parliament overcame the President’s veto on 6 September with 79 votes.