Georgia

TBILISI, October 18. /TASS/: The parliament of Georgia failed to impeach President Salome Zourabichvili as the proposal didn’t collect enough votes, according to a live broadcast of the voting.

The 86-1 vote meant the impeachment failed as it required the support of at least 100 lawmakers of the total of 150.

The parliamentary opposition did not participate in the vote to rule out the possibility for some of its members to collude with the ruling Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party, which came up with the impeachment bid.

TBILISI, September 5. /TASS/: Georgian MPs did not support the first reading of the legislative initiative put forward by opposition MP Teona Akubardia to move Victory over Fascism Day in the republic from May 9 to May 8.

The meeting was broadcast on the legislature's website.

According to the voting results, 20 deputies voted for the amendments to the Labor Code and 4 voted against. 76 votes were required in order to pass the bill.

HAMPTON, Ga. (AP) — Officers on Sunday shot and killed a man wanted in four weekend killings near Atlanta during an exchange of gunfire, with a sheriff’s deputy and two police officers wounded while trying to take the suspect into custody, authorities said.

Officials said Andre Longmore was shot during an intense search for the 40-year-old suspect. The exchange of gunfire came a day after Saturday morning’s shootings rocked a bucolic subdivision in Hampton, south of Georgia’s main city.

TBILISI, May 11. /TASS/: Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili called Russia's decision to abolish visa requirements for Georgian nationals and lift the ban on direct flights between the two countries a positive move.

"This is certainly a positive decision from a humanitarian point of view, which is a welcome sight. Any decisions that help simplify our citizens’ lives, travel, business, of course, are positive, and they can be welcomed," Garibashvili told reporters Thursday.

TBILISI, March 10. /TASS/: Georgian lawmakers voted on Friday against a draft law on registering foreign agents in the second reading.

"One voted for, with 35 votes against. The measure has not passed," Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said following the vote, which was broadcast live on the parliament’s website.

Georgia’s parliament on Friday voted to drop a controversial bill that opponents — and thousands of protesters who swarmed the capital earlier this week — warned could stifle dissent and curtail media freedoms, ushering in Russian-style repression.

TBILISI, March 9 (Reuters) - Georgia's ruling party said on Thursday it was dropping a bill on "foreign agents" after two nights of violent protests against what opponents said was a Russian-inspired authoritarian shift that imperilled hopes of the country joining the European Union.

The Georgian Dream ruling party said in a statement it would "unconditionally withdraw the bill we supported, without any reservations". It cited the need to reduce "confrontation" in society, while also denouncing "lies" told about the bill by the "radical opposition".

TBILISI, March 8 (Reuters) - Thousands of people staged a second straight day of protests in the Georgian capital Tbilisi on Wednesday, rallying against a "foreign agents" law which critics say signals an authoritarian shift and harms Georgia's chances of closer ties with Europe.

Parliament on Tuesday passed a first reading of the legislation, which requires any organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from overseas to register as "foreign agents" or face substantial fines.

TBILISI, March 7 (Reuters) - Protesters in the small ex-Soviet state of Georgia threw petrol bombs and stones at police on Tuesday night after parliament gave its initial backing to a draft law on "foreign agents" which critics say represents an authoritarian shift.

Police in the centre of the capital Tbilisi used water cannon and tear gas in attempting to disperse thousands of demonstrators, who fear the draft law could hurt the South Caucasus country's hopes of European Union membership.

TBILISI, March 6 (Reuters) - Fistfights broke out among Georgian lawmakers on Monday as a parliamentary committee debated a bill on "foreign agents" which critics say is modelled on draconian legislation in neighbouring Russia.

Video from inside the parliament building in the capital Tbilisi showed a brief but violent brawl between lawmakers after the chairman of the chamber's legal affairs committee appeared to strike the leader of the United National Movement opposition party, which opposes the bill.