“Tetritskaro judge’s decision is counterbalanced by the decisions of 22 judges who see the issue differently,” said Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili.

According to the Speaker, 23 judges reviewed the lawsuit filed by the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) and only one ruled vote secrecy violation.

Shalva Papuashvili remarked that no complaint was compiled in vote secrecy violation on Election Day and that the GYLA “remembered about the issue only five days after the elections.”

“Tetritskaro judge’s decision is counterbalanced by the judgement of 22 judges who view the issue differently. Common sense stands behind this, to tell you the truth. If we follow this logic, then Moldovan presidential elections, Lithuanian parliamentary polls and elections in Poland and many other countries should be annulled where we see no envelopes used, circled bulletins are carried and put in semi-transparent boxes where the voters’ choice is seen clearly,” he said.

On November 4, Judge Vladimer Khuchua of the Tetritskaro Court confirmed that there had been violations of voter secrecy in the October 26 elections. He annulled the results from 31 polling stations across two constituencies—18 in Tsalka and 13 in Tetritskaro—thereby satisfying the lawsuit filed by the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA).