Parliament approved on July 16 with its second reading a package of draft amendments into laws on police, rallies and administrative offenses, a day after heated debates on the matter at the parliamentary session.

Lawmakers from the parliamentary minority group walked out of the chamber before the vote in protest against the package.

Tamaz Diasamidze, a lawmaker from the ruling party, joined the opposition to the package saying that legalizing of use of less lethal projectile launchers by the police was not acceptable for him.

MP Jondi Bagaturia, leader of opposition Georgian Troupe party, submitted an alternative proposal on amendments into law on administrative offenses envisaging decrease of prison term for such offenses to 15 days, instead of increasing term from 30 days to 90 days as envisaged by the ruling party-proposed package. The proposal was voted down.

Lawmakers from the ruling party agreed to delay passing of some provisions in the draft amendments to the law on administrative offenses, including those involving punishment terms for blocking and hindering of traffic by cars in an organized way and by driving in groups. Another provision on which voting was delayed refers to fines for making graffiti on the walls of the administrative buildings and near them.