The newly elected Georgian parliament has opened its inaugural session as opposition lawmakers and the country’s ceremonial president stayed away and thousands of protesters rallied outside under a he

Lawmakers from Georgia's ruling party opened the first session of parliament on Monday after last month's disputed election, defying protesters outside and a boycott by opposition parties who say the vote was illegitimate.

Georgia’s ruling party convened parliament for its first session since last month’s election even as opposition lawmakers enforced a boycott and protesters continued street demonstrations over the results.

The inaugural session of the Georgian parliament took place in Tbilisi on Monday. The opposition, which does not recognize the results of the October elections, boycotted the proceedings. Protests are ongoing outside the building,

By Ailis Halligan in Tbilisi Several thousand protesters, led by Georgia’s pro-Western opposition, gathered on Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue on the evening of November 24 to contest the legitimacy of the inaugural session of the new Georgian parliament.