UNM, Akhali, Gakharia's team, Girchi, Lelo, Droa— which opposition parties are to be banned in Georgia?
Parties to be banned in Georgia
On August 23, Georgian prime minister Irakli Kobakhidze provided a clear list in response to a journalist’s question about which parties the ruling “Georgian Dream” plans to ban if it secures a constitutional majority in the October 26 parliamentary elections. These parties are UNM [United National Movement, founded by Mikheil Saakashvili], Akhali, Girchi, Lelo, For Georgia (the party of former prime minister Giorgi Gakharia), and Droa.
This question was raised because the day before, the prime minister had stated, “Banning political parties is a democratic process. Political parties are being banned one by one in Ukraine and Moldova, and the European Union views this positively.”
In Ukraine and Moldova, only political parties with ties to Russia have been banned.
When asked how the West might react to a one-party parliament in Georgia and whether this could hinder European integration, the prime minister responded that “no one says anything about the one-party parliament in Moldova, so the same will happen in Georgia.”
Kobakhidze also said that, following the ban on these parties, it would be logical to strip them of their parliamentary mandates if they win any seats in the elections.
Later that day, Tbilisi mayor Kakha Kaladze, the general secretary of the ruling party, addressed the prime minister’s extreme statement, saying that the Georgian Dream does not plan to ban opposition parties and that the prime minister had been misunderstood.
What did the prime minister say?
“The National Movement party itself includes several additional parties, and they are all participating together in these elections.
You also know that the collective National Movement includes parties like Akhali, Girchi, and Droa. All these politicians and leaders have a past directly linked to the National Movement, and their present is also connected to this party.
Furthermore, you are aware that there is the Lelo alliance, which was directly involved in business racketeering, and this should be the subject of investigation, alongside the National Movement regime…
Former prime minister Giorgi Gakharia’s party, For Georgia, is also allied with the National Movement.
This is all one collective criminal political force that must definitely be condemned. The rest will be decided by the appropriate authorities.
The revocation of their parliamentary mandates can only be done by the Constitutional Court in accordance with our current constitution. I believe that the logical continuation of banning the party would naturally be the revocation of their mandates. Members of a criminal political force should not be allowed to enjoy the status of a member of the Georgian Parliament.
The parliament will remain democratically elected, with Georgian Dream holding a constitutional majority, and this is important,” Kobakhidze stated.
Parties to be banned in Georgia
Earlier, a statement was published by the political council of Georgian Dream, which was later echoed by the honorary chairman of the ruling party, oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili. He stated that “Georgian Dream needs a constitutional majority, among other reasons, to initiate a legal process that would result in the “United National Movement” and all its satellites being declared unconstitutional.
Kakha Kaladze: “It’s about punishing a criminal group, not banning the opposition”
The general secretary of the ruling party and Tbilisi Mayor, Kakha Kaladze, added his comments on the prime minister’s statement. He said that “Kobakhidze was misunderstood; no one intends to ban opposition parties.”
“This is about a specific criminal group that committed a crime, and they should be punished for it [referring to the August 2008 war, for which the current authorities blame the UNM and Mikheil Saakashvili — JAMnews].”
Parties to be banned in Georgia
