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Georgian parliament begins to consider overriding presidential veto on foreign agents law

If Zourabichvili again refuses to sign the document, it will be signed and published by Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili

TBILISI, May 28. /TASS/. Lawmakers of the Georgian parliament have gathered for a plenary session where they will consider overriding President Salome Zourabichvili’s veto on the foreign agents law, according to a live broadcast.

Lawmakers will first make policy statements, then debate, and after that vote on the issues. Overriding a presidential veto requires the approval of at least 76 of the 150 members of the unicameral parliament. The ruling party, Georgian Dream — Democratic Georgia, has 84 seats. After the veto is overridden, the bill returns to the president for signing. If Zourabichvili again refuses to sign the document, it will be signed and published by Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili. After publication, the law will come into effect.

On May 14, the Georgian parliament passed the law "On Transparency of Foreign Influence" in the third reading, which led the European Union to threaten suspending the country’s integration into the organization. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O’Brien said that the US would impose sanctions on the Georgian government if democracy was undermined in the country.