Women’s protest at Georgian Election Commission blocked by barriers, police

A group of women, including politicians, gathered at Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) in Tbilisi on Wednesday to submit complaints challenging the results of the recent October 26 general election.

The group, who claim the principle of vote secrecy was violated, were met by iron barriers and a heavy police presence that barred them from entering the premises.

The protesters aimed to file official complaints demanding the annulment of the October election and the scheduling of a new vote, arguing that the integrity of the electoral process had been compromised.

MP Anna Natsvilishvili, a member of the opposition Lelo party, criticized the CEC’s refusal to let them deliver complaints.

Despite clashes and attempts to breach the barrier, security forces only partially opened the gates, allowing protesters into the yard but still preventing access to the main building.

Ana Gogoladze of the Ahali party described the restrictions as severe, saying that “the government that wins is not afraid of protests, this is the behavior of a losing government.”

Three days before the parliamentary elections on October 26, the CEC building was designated as a site of strategic purpose, making picketing and blocking the entrance a criminal offense.

Individuals convicted of violating this rule face potential imprisonment. The government had also assigned state protection to CEC Chairman Giorgi Kalandarishvili in October amid heightened tensions surrounding the election.

Meanwhile, Tbilisi City Court is reviewing lawsuits seeking to nullify summary documents drawn up by district commissions, adding to the political tensions surrounding the election’s aftermath.