The Tbilisi City Court has dismissed lawsuits filed by opposition groups Unity – National Movement, Strong Georgia, and the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association which sought to annul the results of Georgia’s October 26 parliamentary elections, citing alleged violations of voting secrecy.
In a combined hearing, representatives of the opposition groups presented photo and video evidence they claimed showed that the Central Election Commission (CEC) breached the confidentiality of the voting process. Tina Bokuchava and Tamar Kordzaia from Unity – National Movement led the arguments, with Bokuchava alleging that the CEC had illegally replaced Smartmatic branded markers with unbranded markers the day before the election, compromising voter secrecy.
According to Kordzaia, reports emerged of voters’ choices becoming visible through the ballots.
Tornike Artkhmelidze, a representative from Strong Georgia, shared further allegations, including instances of voter impersonation and the use of ID numbers written on paper slips for unauthorized voting. GYLA also raised similar concerns, pushing for witness testimonies and additional scrutiny of voting records.
After a 13-hour session, Judge Iveri Abashidze rejected over ten motions submitted by the opposition parties, concluding the complaints as unfounded. The decision leaves the opposition undeterred, with plans to appeal the ruling, as they continue to contest the outcome of the October 26 election.
