Story highlights Vote follows mass protest against proposed ban

Poland has some of Europe's tightest abortion laws

(CNN) Poland's parliament has withdrawn proposed legislation that would have imposed a near-total ban on abortion in the country.

Members of parliament in the lower house, the Sejm, voted overwhelmingly against the controversial bill by 352 votes to 58, with 18 abstentions.

The vote follows a nationwide strike against the proposed ban on Monday which saw thousands of protesters take to the streets across Poland.

Goverment pledge

The draft bill was the result of a citizens' initiative by the conservative think-tank Ordo Iuris, which gathered 450,000 signatures in favor of tightening abortion legislation, forcing parliament to debate it.

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