None of the 59 amendments to the bill suggested since the first reading in the summer called for the softening of the bill. On the contrary, the Women of Russia faction demanded broad AIDS screening for Russians as well as foreigners.
But the bill was only put to the vote at about 6:30 P.M., thirty minutes after the session had been scheduled to end. Only 181 deputies were present in the hall, 35 short of the quorum of 226. 169 of them voted to approve the bill.
Rybkin postponed the final vote until Friday's plenary session, when it is expected to go through with an overwhelming majority.
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