In the third reading, the Parliament of Georgia finally approved the pro-Russian bill "On transparency of foreign influence".
Georgian parliament voted for the scandalous bill of the pro-Russian party
The initiative of the leading party "Georgian Dream" was supported by 84 deputies, despite the protests of tens of thousands of citizens and the criticism of Georgia's international partners. At the same time, 30 opposition members voted against it.
President Salome Zurabishvili previously promised to promise the draft law.
According to the Constitution of Georgia, the head of state signs and publishes the law within ten days or returns it to the parliament. Georgian Dream has enough votes to override the veto. If the president does not sign the law even after that, the speaker of the parliament will sign and publish it.
The ruling party may finally approve the law in mid-June.
Zurabishvili also offered an alternative: postponing the law's entry into force until November 1, after the parliamentary elections.
What is happening in Georgia?
On April 3, the pro-Russian political party "Georgian Dream" re-introduced the bill on "foreign agents" to the parliament.
This happened a year after a similar initiative led to thousands of protests and was withdrawn. Critics of the draft law consider it an analogue of the Russian one, but the Georgian authorities say that they have nothing in common.
On April 8, protests started near the Georgian Parliament building against the new bill.
The plans of the Georgian authorities have been criticized in Europe and the United States.
Western partners note that adopting the law will slow the process of Georgia's accession to the EU and NATO. The President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, said that "the ruling party is sabotaging the European path" of Georgia.
