Georgia’s parliament on Monday approved the mandate of its newly elected lawmakers as protests continue in the capital Tbilisi over last month’s election 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,

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.

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.