A Tbilisi court rejected 11 lawsuits filed by Georgian opposition parties and civil society organizations seeking to invalidate protocols issued by district election commissions, News Georgia reported on November 14.

The plaintiffs, including the “Unity – National Movement” and “Strong Georgia” coalitions, as well as the Association of Young Lawyers of Georgia, alleged that violations of voting secrecy took place during the parliamentary elections.

This decision comes as the pro-European opposition refuses to recognize victory claimed by the ruling Georgian Dream party, which maintains close ties with Russia. The disputed results triggered large-scale demonstrations in Tbilisi.

Opposition parties claim that insufficient opacity of ballot papers allowed outsiders to see voters’ choices, thus violating secrecy. They also reported cases of voter bribery, intimidation, and interference with election observers.

Judge Iveri Abashidze dismissed the lawsuits as “baseless.” Although filed separately, the cases were consolidated into a single lawsuit with the Central Election Commission (CEC) as the defendant.

Tamar Kordzaya, representative of the “National Unity Movement,” accused the judge of ignoring the evidence, saying the issue had been “decided in advance,” according to Georgia News.

The opposition has one last chance to contest the results after the CEC publishes its final protocol, expected by November 21.

Previously, the court invalidated the results of 30 polling stations, citing violations of voting secrecy.

Official results show Georgian Dream received almost 54% of the vote, but opposition leaders and international observers have highlighted widespread allegations of intimidation, ballot stuffing and vote buying.

On October 27, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that Parliament approve the government despite protests from the opposition. Meanwhile, opposition leaders have urged international actors not to recognize the results.

Georgian Dream has been accused of democratic backsliding and pushing the South Caucasus country closer to the Kremlin. Earlier this year, the controversial “foreign agents” law sparked massive protests and a violent police crackdown.

After the elections, the European Commission announced the suspension of Georgia’s EU accession process, highlighting the growing gap between Tbilisi and the West.

If Georgian dream stays the course, we won’t be able to consider it a democratic partner, says expert

Georgia stands at a crossroads. The October 26 parliamentary elections were presented as a choice between, on the one hand, creeping authoritarianism and a drift into the Kremlin’s orbit, and, on the other hand, Georgia’s European aspirations. A group of pro-European parties hoped to overturn the Georgian dream, after…