TBILISI, May 20. /TASS/. The Georgian parliament plans to override President Salome Zourabichvili 's veto over the law on foreign agents, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili told reporters.
"Of course, the parliament will override this veto [of the law on foreign agents], as it once again shows that the law is Georgian," Papuashvili said.
The speaker specified that the parliament will convene on Monday, when the president's veto will be registered and submitted to the committee on legal issues for consideration. After the committee considers the veto, it will be put to a vote at a plenary session.
On May 18, Zourabishvili vetoed the law on foreign agents, declaring that it should be revoked because it contradicts European standards and cannot be amended. Later, the media published details of the president's remarks sent to the parliament. In them she makes no amendments to the points of the law and proposes to repeal it the day after it enters into force.
On May 14, the Georgian parliament passed the law on foreign agents in the third reading, provoking harsh statements from the EU about threats to suspend the country's integration into the European Union. Zourabishvili said she would veto the law even before it was passed. The president had until May 28 to do so.
Consideration of the draft law began in April. Since then, large-scale protests have been held in Georgia. Several times they escalated into clashes with security forces. Law enforcement used pepper spray and water cannons to disperse the protesters. The law has been opposed by the US, the EU, the UN, NATO, the OSCE and the Council of Europe. European leaders say the law contradicts European values. Leaders of Georgia's ruling party argue that it merely serves to ensure the transparency of foreign funding for the non-governmental sector and media.