Georgian Parliament Speaker: Tetritskaro Court’s ruling on vote secrecy “outlier” among judicial findings

Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, on Tuesday downplayed the significance of the recent Tetritskaro Court ruling in eastern Georgia, which confirmed a breach of voter confidentiality in the October 26 general elections.

In response to the decision, Papuashvili noted that 22 of 23 judges across various district courts did not find grounds for similar claims of election secrecy violations, asserting that the case would ultimately be resolved in the Court of Appeals.

“One judge interpreted this matter as a confidentiality breach, but 22 judges reviewed the issue differently”, Papuashvili said, highlighting the consistency among most courts in rejecting confidentiality concerns. He added, “If we extend this logic, then elections in countries like Moldova, Lithuania, and Poland would also be at risk of annulment.”

Papuashvili criticized the complainant, the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), for not raising issues on election day itself, only doing so days later. “There was no specific violation recorded, nor any complaint from individual citizens,” he said. “It seems they were looking for something to challenge.”

The Speaker also addressed the opposition’s approach to the judiciary, urging them to accept court rulings even when unfavorable. “The opposition should respect the judicial system. When they find decisions in their favor, they praise the judges, but when rulings don’t align, they accuse the courts of political bias,” Papuashvili remarked.

The Tetritskaro District Court’s ruling on November 4, led by Judge Vladimir Khuchua, sided with GYLA’s suit, citing inadequacies in the election process that compromised voter confidentiality. Khuchua’s judgment called for reforms to ensure the security and integrity of future elections.