President Appeals Election Results to Constitutional Court

"Tomorrow morning, I will file a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court precisely because of the violation of two constitutional principles: secrecy and universality.

This is not because I have faith in constitutionalism - we all already know that no institution in this country is independent anymore. We have received proof of this many times. However, this lawsuit should serve as a sign that no legal dispute in this country should be left unchallenged or unresolved. This is the purpose of my lawsuit: to see it through to the end and test the conscience of the judges who must face a critical question - what kind of country do they want, with whom do they want this country to align, and where should this country go? Their answer to this will be no less significant.

I want to wish them, and all of us, that there will be at least a few judges in the Constitutional Court who, as one judge has already demonstrated, are capable of showing us that we still have decent judges in this country," said Salome Zourabichvili.

At the briefing, the President stated that the parliamentary elections cannot be considered valid or legitimate due to the violation of these two fundamental principles. Salome Zourabichvili believes the solution lies in holding new elections.

"Obviously, new elections are necessary when elections have not truly taken place. These elections must be repeated as soon as possible, but only after addressing the following issues. Without resolving these, there is no point in holding new elections:

The first point is an international investigation—not for our international partners to confirm what we already know, that the elections did not take place—but to uncover and prove the systemic flaws that existed. If we want fair, free, and unfalsified elections, we need to establish a new election administration, amend the election code in line with the recommendations and requests of the OSCE/ODIHR, implement procedures for opening polling stations abroad, and establish a special electoral dispute court. It is desirable that our foreign partners be involved in these processes.

The second point is the continuation of the current political framework until October 26.

Since elections have not been held, no new ones can take place - not parliamentary, governmental, or presidential elections. We must continue with the current parliament, government, and president to ensure a stable transition period before the new elections.

Therefore, this approach does not target or exclude anyone. A stable country cannot exist without elections that reflect the will of its people. Gaining the support of international partners for this plan is crucial, and I am already working on it. I am confident that this plan will appeal to them," said Salome Zourabichvili.

The Central Election Commission of Georgia summarized the parliamentary elections on November 16. According to the final protocol, Georgian Dream won 53.93% of the votes and secured 89 mandates out of 150 in the legislative body. Coalition for Change received 11.03% of the votes and 19 mandates, Unity - National Movement 10.17% and 16 mandates, Strong Georgia 8.81% and 14 mandates, and the party Gakharia for Georgia 7.78% and 12 mandates. Only Georgian Dream agrees with the CEC's data, while the opposition claims the elections were rigged. The Georgian Young Lawyers Association has appealed the summary protocol in court, seeking its annulment.