Georgia’s Parliament can’t recognize MPs’ authority until Constitutional Court decision, GYLA

The Parliament of Georgia is unable to recognize the authority of its newly elected members until a legal dispute in the Constitutional Court is resolved, the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) said on Wednesday.

The dispute revolves around the legality of the election results, with 34 active members of Parliament challenging the constitutionality of the elections.

GYLA stressed the first session of the newly elected Parliament was authorized to begin only if at least 76 MPs were present.

“Following the session’s opening, a Temporary Mandate Commission is formed, and the Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) hands over necessary documentation. However, if the legality of any MPs election is contested in the Constitutional Court, their name will not be included in the official list of recognized parliamentarians. If at least 100 members’ authority cannot be recognized due to legal disputes, the session will be suspended”, the NGO said.

It further highlighted the Parliament was unable to proceed with full recognition of its elected members until the Constitutional Court resolved the disputes regarding the election’s legality.

Levan Bezhashvili, leader of the opposition Unity – National Movement, said on Wednesday the constitutional challenge filed by the 34 members of Parliament questioned the overall constitutionality of the election process, alleging violations of citizens’ constitutional rights.
He warned that if the Constitutional Court rejected the challenge, it would demonstrate “further dysfunction within the judiciary”.