Georgia’s parliament drops controversial ‘foreign agents’ bill

Georgia’s parliament has dropped plans for a “foreign agents” bill that triggered a major domestic political crisis and threatened to derail the nation’s bid for closer ties with Europe.

On Friday, the bill was voted down in the second reading after only one lawmaker – out of 36 who voted – backed the legislation that critics had compared with laws in Russia that authorities have used to silence Moscow’s opponents. The majority of the 112-member parliament abstained from voting.

Hundreds of anti-government protesters rallied outside the legislature during the vote.

Tens of thousands of Georgians had taken to the streets in the capital, Tbilisi, for three consecutive nights of protest against the initiative, saying the government was trying to take the country towards autocracy.

Al Jazeera’s Bernard Smith reporting from Tblisi said people were “very pleased” with the bill failing to pass in parliament.

“When asked if the government will keep its word, people are suspicious of the government. They view it as a pro Russian government,” Smith added.

“But they are very pleased obviously that they got their way. They point to the power of the streets and how it managed to influence the government.”

Police used tear gas, stun grenades and water cannon to disperse the protesters, who had amassed outside parliament in the centre of Tbilisi, detaining dozens in the process.