Tbilisi: Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has filed a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court on Tuesday, claiming violation of the secrecy of vote and the right to universal suffrage during the October 26 parliamentary elections, the President’s lawyer Eka Beselia told reporters.
The Georgian Central Election Commission approved on November 16 the final report of the parliamentary elections held in October, with the ruling Georgian Dream party receiving 53.93% of the votes and 89 out of 150 seats in parliament. Four opposition parties made it into parliament with a collective 37.78% but refused to recognize the outcome and demanded an international investigation and a fresh vote, claiming fraud.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, who has long been in confrontation with the government, not only rejected the election results but also called on people to take to the streets and protest. Parliament in Georgia has to be convened by Zourabichvili no later than the 10th day after the final report has been approved. If the president refuses to do so, the parliament will gather independently.
The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation into the opposition’s claims of alleged election fraud, but most opposition members are not cooperating with the office.
UNI