NGO White Noise Stops Negotiations with Gov't over Drug Policy
Non-Governmental Organization White Noise Movement, which supports a liberal drug policy in the country, says they have stopped negotiations with the Ministry of Labor, Health and Social Affairs and the Interior Ministry.
The NGO says the reason they did so is that the authorities had not kept their promise to agree on a new drug policy with the participation of the non-governmental sector.
The Head of the NGO, Beka Tsikarishvili, says they authorities had until May 27 to hold another meeting with the NGOs but no-one contacted them.
"We are not going to sit at the negotiating table again with rulers who do not keep their word,” he stated.
Tsikarishvili once again slammed the authorities for carrying out raids in nightclubs Bassiani and Gallery on May 12, adding it was an attack on youth.
“We do not have any concrete plans yet but we want to create a stronger anti-drug policy unity along with our population,” he added.
The May 12 raids in clubs resulted in large-scale protest rallies in Tbilisi, which were followed by counter-demonstrations of nationalist, far-right and fascist groups.
In order to defuse the situation, Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia apologized and asked protesters to suspend rallies in order to avoid any confrontation.
The minister promised the protesters that along with the NGOs, the government would adopt a humane and more liberal drug policy in the near future.
Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze said the new policy would be adopted in late June.
By Thea Morrison
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