Georgian president challenges parliamentary election results in Constitutional Court

Georgian lawyer and politician Eka Beselia has said that Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili filed a request with the Constitutional Court to contest the results of the recent parliamentary elections.

"The case concerns two constitutional violations. The first is the violation of the principle of universality, which is reflected in the fact that our citizens living abroad not only were restricted in their constitutional rights but were outright banned from participating in the elections. The second major violation is the secrecy of the vote. There is substantial evidence regarding breaches of voting secrecy, which is a direct violation of constitutional standards," Beselia, who will represent Zourabichvili in court, told journalists, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

The Constitutional Court has three days to decide whether to accept the case for review. If the case is accepted, the court will have 30 days to deliver its verdict. Zourabichvili has announced her intention to submit a formal petition on November 25, seeking to have the election results declared fraudulent.

Moreover, leader of the ruling Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia party and Mayor of Tbilisi Kakha Kaladze has claimed that President Zourabichvili is acting under the influence of foreign powers. 

"Zourabichvili is someone who is clearly under external influence. She has patrons, and whatever they tell her to do, she does. When you're an agent, you have no choice – you do what you're told. You don't even have the right to ask questions," Kaladze told journalists. 

The parliamentary elections were held in Georgia on October 26. According to the Central Election Commission, the ruling "Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia" party received 53.93 per cent of the votes, winning the right to form the government independently. Four opposition parties surpassed the five per cent threshold: "Coalition for Change" with 11 per cent, "United National Movement" with 10.16 per cent, "Strong Georgia" with 8.8 per cent and "Gakharia for Georgia" with 7.76 per cent. All opposition parties that entered Parliament have refused to recognise the election results, deeming them to be fraudulent. 

Georgian incumbent President Salome Zourabichvili has also rejected the election outcomes. President Zourabichvili said that the data from the Central Election Commission has been manipulated, and the opposition actually received more votes in total than "Georgian Dream" party thereby securing a majority in the Parliament.

By Naila Huseynova