On December 22, the Georgian Parliament failed to elect a new public defender and CEC chair and members, in an extraordinary session. 107 MPs signed up for the session, but neither the ruling party nor the opposition had the 90 votes required to elect a new public defender.

The opposition proposed the CSO-backed candidates, Ana Abashidze, Giorgi Burjanadze, and Nazi Janezashvili, while the ruling faction Georgian Dream requested the opposition to support Lela Gaprindashvili, Tinatin Erkvania, Nugzar Kokhreidze, Giorgi Mariamidze, and Ketevan Chachava. For the CEC chairman, Tamar Alafidze and Revaz Egadze were the two candidates, while Giorgi Isakadze, Giorgi Marsagishvili, Kristine Kajaia, and Natia Tsiptauri were the four nominees for the two open CEC membership posts.

The failure of the Georgian Parliament to elect a new public defender and CEC chairman and members was met with criticism from both the opposition and civil society. The European Union also expressed its dissatisfaction with the situation, calling for the urgent selection of a public defender and CEC chair and members. "The lack of a public defender impedes the Georgian Parliament from fulfilling its Constitutional mandate of ensuring the protection of citizens' rights and freedoms," stated European Commission Spokesperson Peter Stano.

The events of December 22 have highlighted the need for Georgia to improve its political process. As opposition leader Nika Melia noted, “All political parties should come together and work towards a consensus, as the current state of affairs is not conducive to the democratic process in the country.”