Tbilisi. CSOs part of the "This Affects You, They Are Still Listening!" campaign welcome and thank the President of Georgia for his decision. "While vetoing the amendment the President had stated that "there is a consensus and firm position in our society about this issue. We must advance to a modern democratic form of functioning of special services". In the President's opinion, a total and unrestrained surveillance practiced by the authorities for years must be rejected", says the statement released as part of the campaign. CSOs part of the campaign urge the Parliament of Georgia and the Chairman of the Parliament to "... organize a meeting of the working group as soon as possible. Further, it is necessary to start a dialogue in the nearest future between different branches of power for the authorities to make a political decision on access by law-enforcement agencies to the citizens' personal information. Otherwise, we will once again face the reality in which drafting of relevant legislative amendments within the deadline will prove to be impossible".

Source: isfed.ge