The newly elected Georgian parliament opened its inaugural session on Monday as opposition lawmakers and the country's ceremonial president stayed away and thousands of protesters rallied outside, accusing the ruling party of rigging the vote under Russian influence.

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.

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.