On 12 December, the Georgian parliament approved 14 of the total 19 candidates for the position of lifelong judges of the Georgian Supreme Court amid protests of the opposition and civic groups, which resulted in the detentions of 12 people. One candidate, the current head of the Georgian Constitutional Court Zaza Tavadze, withdrew his candidacy shortly before the voting. The judges were supported by the parliamentary majority as the opposition parties, including the United National Movement (UNM), European Georgia and former ruling party lawmakers, refused to participate in voting.
During the voting procedure an unclear substance was spilled in the session hall with a “very unpleasant smell” causing a delay in the vote and several parliamentarians fell ill from the smell. The Speaker of the Parliament Archil Talakvadze called the incident an alleged chemical attack against the legislative body and members of parliament. The Georgian Dream parliamentarian Irakli Kobahidze said that two opposition lawmakers poured the unidentified substance. According to MP Zaza Papuashvili, the sharp smell was noticed after Lela Keburia and Irma Nadirashvili entered the session hall.
The election of 14 Supreme Court judges caused mixed reactions amongst Georgian society. “I think that we have made as balanced a decision regarding each candidate as possible… We have made the decision, which will help the Supreme Court’s impartial and smooth functioning,” said Iraklli Kobahidze from the Georgian Dream.
“By supporting these candidates [the ruling party MPs] have written yet another shameful page of their biography, causing harm to Georgia’s democracy… Protests will continue; either Ivanishvili will change his mind and retract his [decisions that are] insults made to the public, or he himself will undermine his own regime by his shameful actions,” said the leader of European Georgia Giga Bokeria.
The independent parliamentarian Eka Beselia quit her post in the Legal Issues Committee following the vote. She called the Chairman of the Legal Issues Committee Anri Okhanashvili "an ugly servant of the Clan." “I congratulate the Georgian Dream that it has officially legalized the deal with the violent past with this vote. The Clan has won both the Legal Committee and the majority of the Georgian Dream. Since the Legal Issues Committee has officially become a branch of the Clan, this was my last sitting in this committee,” she said.
The US embassy in Georgia also stated their dissatisfaction with the selection process. The embassy said that the selection process “lacked transparency and resulted in a slate of nominees that did not fully represent the best qualified candidates”. The embassy further called the parliament and relevant authorities “to address the identified shortcomings” before selection of additional candidates "in order to instil greater confidence in Georgia’s judicial system".
