People's Power (Georgia)

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People's Power
ხალხის ძალა
ChairmanSozar Subari
FoundersSozar Subari
Mikheil Kavelashvili
Dimitri Khundadze
Founded2 August 2022 (2022-08-02)
Split fromGeorgian Dream
IdeologySovereigntism[1][2]
Social conservatism
Anti-Americanism[3]
Parliament of Georgia
9 / 150
Municipal Councilors
24 / 2,068
Website
Facebook page

People's Power (Georgian: ხალხის ძალა, romanized: khalkhis dzala) is a Georgian political party founded by Georgian MPs Sozar Subari, Mikheil Kavelashvili and Dimitri Khundadze, after they left the ruling Georgian Dream.[4]

History[edit]

Party logo until 18 March 2024

The movement was founded on 2 August 2022 by the Georgian MPs Sozar Subari, Mikheil Kavelashvili and Dimitri Khundadze, who had left the ruling Georgian Dream party on 28 June. [5][6] They said that the reason for their departure was the disagreement with the Georgian Dream on the tactical issues, but they remained in agreement on core values and that the movement would remain aligned with the Georgian Dream party in the Parliament. The leaders of the movement said that they wanted to speak more directly about "truth that is hidden behind the scenes of Georgian politics", such as the Western involvement in it.[7][8]

As of October 2022, nine deputies had already joined the movement, depriving the Georgian Dream of its parliamentary majority.[9][10] The deputies in People's Power decided to still support the Georgian Dream-led government.[11][12][13]

On 29 December 2022, People's Power announced that it would introduce a foreign agent law to the Parliament of Georgia.[14] The bill proposed that all non-governmental organizations and media outlets should disclose sources of their funding and register themselves as "agents of foreign influence" if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad.[15] This led to the 2023 Georgian protests. The president of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, supported the protesters and said she would veto the bill.[16][17][18] The parliament withdrew the bill after protests.[19][20]

On March 18, 2024, a party congress was convened, which reorganised the movement into a political party and elected MP Sozar Subari as its chairman.[21][22]

Political positions[edit]

The movement supports limiting foreign funding of the NGOs to curb foreign influence. It claims to defend Georgia's sovereignty from external influences and has been described as sovereigntist.[1][2]

The movement has notably criticized the United States foreign policy in Georgia. In a number of public letters, its members have questioned US funding for Georgia, saying that it only served to strengthen American interests in Georgia at the expense of Georgia's state institutions and sovereignty.[23] It has accused the United States Embassy of interfering in the country's internal affairs and undermining the Georgian judiciary.[24] The movement has accused a number of Georgian political parties (including the largest opposition party, United National Movement) and NGOs of being American agents.[25] The movement has accused the USAID of "attacking Georgia's sovereignty" and "trying to subjugate the Georgian judiciary to foreign control".[26]

The members of the party have condemned "LGBT propaganda" in Georgia, which its members consider as erasing Georgian identity, conscience, faith and traditions.[27] People’s Power has cited the Western countries, such as Spain and the Great Britain, as those in which the LGBT propaganda has resulted in a massive upsurge of people who identify as LGBT.[28] Mikheil Kavelashvili cited Donald Trump, Victor Orban and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as leaders who speak up against LGBT propaganda.[29] Dimitri Khundadze has called out the United States as the promoter of LGBT propaganda in Georgia and has cited pride parade as the LGBT propaganda.[27] In February 2024, he praised the Czech parliament for not supporting the same-sex marriage, while saying that the LGBT propaganda was a tool to deconstruct the institution of family and turn people into a "stateless biological mass" with no identity and a critical thinking.[30]

Leadership[edit]

The party is led by the Chair, who is the leader of the party's political council. The current chairman is Sozar Subari.[31][32]

Seats in Municipal assemblies[edit]

Municipal Council Seats Status
Gori[33]
2 / 36
 Government
Zugdidi[34]
2 / 45
 Opposition
Khobi[34]
1 / 36
 Government
Adigeni[35][36]
3 / 33
 Government
Akhalkalaki[36]
2 / 36
 Government
Akhaltsikhe[36]
3 / 39
 Government
Aspindza[35]
3 / 30
 Government
Borjomi[36]
2 / 33
 Government
Ninotsminda[36]
2 / 30
 Government
Telavi[35]
1 / 39
 Government
Lagodekhi[37]
1 / 30
 Government
Terjola[37]
1 / 30
 Government
Chiatura[37]
1 / 36
 Government

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Q&A What does "Foreign Agent Law" mean for Georgia?". Civil.ge. Archived from the original on 2023-02-15. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
  2. ^ a b "Sovereignist Revival". Civil.ge. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  3. ^ Machaidze, Rusudan. ""People's Power": anti-Western movement in the service of the ruling party of Georgia". JAM News. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  4. ^ Today, Georgia (2022-08-03). "Former GD MPs Establish Public Movement 'People's Power'". Georgia Today. Archived from the original on 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  5. ^ "Three MPs quit ruling Georgian Dream". 1tv. Retrieved 2022-06-28.
  6. ^ "Former GD MPs Establish Public Movement 'People's Power'". Georgia Today. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  7. ^ ""ხალხის ძალა" - სუბარმა, ყაველაშვილმა, ხუნდაძემ და მაჭარაშვილმა მოძრაობა დააფუძნეს". რადიო თავისუფლება (in Georgian). Archived from the original on 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  8. ^ Datunashvili, Irakli (2022-08-03). ""ხალხის ძალა" - ოცნებიდან წასულმა დეპუტატებმა საზოგადოებრივი მოძრაობა დააფუძნეს - JAMnews". Georgian Jamnews (in Georgian). Archived from the original on 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  9. ^ ""სიმართლის მთქმელი" 9 დეპუტატი და "ოცნება" უმრავლესობის გარეშე". რადიო თავისუფლება (in Georgian). Archived from the original on 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  10. ^ "5 MPs and 9 experts - new members joined "People's Power"". Rustavi 2. 4 October 2024.
  11. ^ "Movement People's Power consults on enlargement". 1TV. Archived from the original on 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  12. ^ "Irakli Garibashvili on People's Power movement". caucasuswatch.de (in German). 12 October 2022. Archived from the original on 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  13. ^ "ცნობილია, რომელი დეპუტატები და ექსპერტები უერთდებიან "ოცნებიდან" წასულ "ოთხეულს"". რადიო თავისუფლება (in Georgian). Archived from the original on 2022-10-17. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  14. ^ "According to the People's Power draft law, a register of agents of foreign influence should be created, in which registration will be mandatory for all NGOs and entities that are financed from foreign sources". Interpressnews. 2022-12-29. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  15. ^ "Bill on transparency of foreign influence to be submitted to Parliament". 1tv. 2023-02-19. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  16. ^ "Georgian police use tear gas on protests against 'foreign agents' law". Reuters. March 7, 2023 – via www.reuters.com.
  17. ^ "Georgians protest against draft law on media, nonprofits". ABC News.
  18. ^ "Thousands protest at Georgian 'foreign agent' bill". BBC News. 8 March 2022. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  19. ^ Kirby, Paul (9 March 2023). "Georgia drops 'foreign agents' law after protests". BBC News.
  20. ^ Megrelidze, Sophiko (10 March 2023). "Georgia drops foreign agents law after massive protests". The Associated Press.
  21. ^ "Civil Georgia | People's Power Officially Registers Political Party". civil.ge. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  22. ^ "People's Power Movement holds party congress today". 1tv. 2024-03-18. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
  23. ^ "Georgian society should be interested in US aid goals, People's Power says". 1tv. Archived from the original on 2022-10-20. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  24. ^ "Former ruling party MPs accuse US Embassy of "attacking the Govt", interfering in judiciary". 1tv. Archived from the original on 2022-10-20. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  25. ^ "Georgia is envisioned for a certain role that we shall play under the dictation of the Embassy - new statement of the People's Power". Rustavi 2. Archived from the original on 2022-10-20. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  26. ^ "People Power Says USAID-backed Rule of Law Project "Attack on Sovereignty"". Civil.ge. 24 January 2023. Archived from the original on 2023-01-26. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
  27. ^ a b "If you use the LGBT topic as a tool of blackmail in the process of granting status, the society's response will be appropriate - Khundadze to partners". Mtavari Arkhi. 13 June 2023. Retrieved 2023-06-13.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  28. ^ "საზოგადოებრივი მოძრაობა „ხალხის ძალის" განცხადება". 1tv. 2024-02-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  29. ^ "მიხეილ ყაველაშვილი: მზაკვრული გეგმა ემსახურება იმას, რომ რაც შეიძლება მეტი ადამიანი ნეიტრალური გახდეს ლგბტ იდეოლოგიის მიმართ, რომელიც თითქოსდა სუსტებს იცავს, სინამდვილეში კი კაცობრიობის წინააღმდეგ მიმართული აქტია". Kvira.ge. 2023-07-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  30. ^ "LGBT propaganda is gaining momentum, this is a new weapon for conquering states - Khundadze". Rustavi 2. 2024-02-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  31. ^ "Sozar Subari elected People's Power party chairperson". 1tv. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  32. ^ "Sozar Subari becomes the Chairman of the People's Power political party". Rustavi 2. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  33. ^ ""ხალხის ძალას" გორში უერთდება წევრი, რომელსაც კელი დეგნანთან კითხვები არა აქვს". Qartli.ge (in Georgian). 2022-10-26. Archived from the original on 2023-02-27. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
  34. ^ a b "ზუგდიდის საკრებულოს 2 წევრი "ხალხის ძალას" შეუერთდა". radioatinati.ge (in Georgian). 2022-10-25. Archived from the original on 2023-02-27. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
  35. ^ a b c ""ოცნება" დეპუტატებმა კიდევ 3 საკრებულოში დატოვეს". Netgazeti (in Georgian). 2022-07-13. Archived from the original on 2023-03-12. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
  36. ^ a b c d e "'ხალხის ძალას' სამცხე-ჯავხეთიდან 'ოცნების' 10–მდე დეპუტატი შეუერთდა". sknews.ge (in Georgian). 2022-10-25. Archived from the original on 2023-02-27. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
  37. ^ a b c "ოთხ მუნიციპალიტეტში "ქართული ოცნების" საკრებულოს წევრებმა პარტია დატოვეს". Borjomi TV (in Georgian). 2022-07-11. Archived from the original on 2023-02-27. Retrieved 2023-02-17.
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