The pro-Russian authorities violated the Constitution by holding the first session of the newly formed parliament. Police equipped with water cannons protected members of the Georgian Dream party from public outrage. Protesters, in response to the falsified election results, threw trash and eggs at the building. Nevertheless, the deputies, under the leadership of oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, who rules the country single-handedly through his puppet party, approved the new government’s composition. Shame!

On Monday, November 25, the first session of Georgia’s new parliament was held. Only deputies from the Georgian Dream party, officially declared the winner of last month’s elections, attended the session. Representatives of four opposition parties and coalitions that gained seats in the parliament boycotted the session, refusing to recognize the election results.

The country's president, Salome Zourabichvili, called the first session of the new parliament a “Black Monday” and declared that the Georgian parliament no longer exists. Many members of civil society deemed the gathering of deputies illegal for several reasons. According to the country’s constitution, the president of Georgia must convene and open the first session of a new parliament. Zourabichvili refused to do so and was absent from the meeting.

Shortly before the session began, Georgian Dream approved the composition of the new government. The ruling party secured 89 mandates in the elections, allowing it to act unilaterally. During the session, held under heavy police protection, mandates were validated for all 150 deputies, including 61 from the opposition.

Among the Georgian Dream representatives, those elected as deputies included the country's Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, and the party’s founder and honorary leader, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, who, according to the opposition, rules the country single-handedly through his puppet party.

During the session, deputies from the ruling party gave a standing ovation to their leader and expressed gratitude to the billionaire. A widely shared video on social media shows the oldest member of parliament, Lado Kakhadze, greeting Ivanishvili and pressing his hand to his cheek.

Human rights organizations also noted that, for the parliament to gain full powers, the recognition of mandates for two-thirds of the total number of deputies is required. However, according to regulations, deputies cannot have their mandates validated if the legality of their election is being challenged in the Constitutional Court. This is precisely what Zourabichvili did, appealing to the Constitutional Court to dispute the election’s legitimacy and demand new voting. The court has yet to announce its decision.

Source: dw.com