Georgian parliament votes to override presidential veto of 'foreign agent' bill

Demonstrators gather in front of an electronic screen showing the results of the vote, which allows Georgia's parliament to override a presidential veto of the bill on "foreign agents", during a protest in Tbilisi, Georgia, May 28, 2024. REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze

TBILISI (Reuters) - Georgia's parliament voted on Tuesday to override a presidential veto of a bill on "foreign agents" that has plunged the South Caucasus country into crisis, ignoring criticism from the West which says the legislation is authoritarian and Russian-inspired.

The vote to ignore the objections of Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, whose powers are mostly ceremonial, sets the stage for the speaker of parliament to sign the bill into law in the coming days.