Georgia's Constitutional Court rejects lawsuit by President, opposition for declaring parliamentary elections unconstitutional

Georgia’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday dismissed lawsuits filed by President Salome Zourabichvili and 30 opposition MPs last month that sought to declare results of the October 26 parliamentary elections unconstitutional due to alleged manipulations and violations during the vote.

The Court’s plenum ruled against the claims, which questioned the legality of the elections for the Georgian Parliament and the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Adjara region, and said the ruling was final and could not be appealed or revised.

Dissenting opinions from two judges, Giorgi Kverenchkhiladze and Teimuraz Tugushi, raised concerns over voter accessibility abroad, with Tugushi also highlighting issues surrounding the secrecy of the ballot.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Monday accused Zourabichvili of “committing a direct crime” by pressuring judges” of the Court over her electoral lawsuit. 

The comment came after the President on Sunday called for “every effort” for scheduling the Court session, highlighting the importance of a “positive ruling”.