Speaker: Georgian parliament ready to start without Zourabichvili's convocation

In Georgia, Parliament will begin its sessions even if President Salome Zourabichvili does not formally initiate its convocation, according to Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of Parliament.

Papuashvili emphasized that under the Georgian Constitution, the parliament must convene within ten days of the Central Election Commission (CEC) publishing its final protocol, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

He noted that the president’s invitation is largely a formality in this process.

"If the president engages in obstruction and refuses to convene the parliament, it is required to meet on its own. There is no other interpretation," Papuashvili added.

He also addressed the spread of disinformation regarding the recent elections, calling it an effort to forcibly change the government.

Papuashvili stated, "Disinformation about the elections is part of a hybrid warfare strategy, aiming to undermine democracy in Georgia and change the government through undemocratic means rather than the will of the people. There is no evidence or factual basis for any of this misinformation," he remarked during a briefing.

The parliamentary elections took place on October 26. The ruling party, "Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia," won 53.93% of the vote, securing the ability to form the government independently.

Four opposition parties crossed the 5% threshold: "Coalition for Change" (11%), "United National Movement" (10.16%), "Strong Georgia" (8.8%), and "Gakharia for Georgia" (7.76%).

All opposition parties, as well as President Zourabichvili, have rejected the election results, calling them fraudulent. Zourabichvili claimed that the CEC manipulated the data, arguing that the opposition actually won more votes than the ruling party, thereby securing a majority in parliament.

By Tamilla Hasanova