Ruling Georgian Dream adds another party to lawsuit seeking opposition ban
Gakharia’s party ban
Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party is asking the Constitutional Court to declare the parliamentary opposition Gakharia – For Georgia party unconstitutional and ban it, parliamentary majority leader Irakli Kirtskhalia said.
The party’s leader, exiled former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, responded: “Even with a parliamentary majority, the Ivanishvili regime could not tolerate the presence of even one opposition party in parliament because it has no answer to criticism.”
Georgian Dream previously asked the Constitutional Court to declare four opposition groups unconstitutional and ban them: the United National Movement, Coalition for Change, Strong Georgia – Lelo and the Federalists.
Georgian Dream alleged that the parties had “been involved in unconstitutional activities, including sabotage against the Georgian state, and had adopted essentially identical positions for many years”.
The Gakharia – For Georgia party will now be added to the revised submission.
Kirtskhalia said the party had not initially been included because Georgian Dream wanted to give it an opportunity to participate in parliamentary work, “despite its past ties and direct coalition with the ‘collective National Movement’” (the ruling party’s term for the country’s entire opposition – JAMnews).
He said the revised application seeking to ban the opposition parties would be submitted to the Constitutional Court this week.
Kirtskhalia said the decision to include the party in the case was prompted by its conduct in parliament and its public statements.
“The case is based on numerous indisputable facts,” he said. “Look at how openly, crudely and brazenly they refuse to recognise the country’s constitutional order, and at their numerous destructive actions in parliament and public comments.”
He again accused Gakharia – For Georgia of links to the “collective National Movement network” and said that, in his view, the party “serves the same insidious cause”.
Kirtskhalia added that the case did not seek to strip Gakharia – For Georgia representatives of their seats in either parliament or local councils.
Former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and his party
Gakharia’s party joined three other opposition groups in boycotting parliament after the 26 October 2024 parliamentary elections, alleging that the vote had been rigged.
However, in November 2025, the party decided to take up its seats in parliament and municipal councils.
According to the Central Election Commission, Gakharia – For Georgia holds 12 seats in parliament and 26 seats on municipal councils across the country.
Giorgi Gakharia is living in forced exile after two criminal cases were brought against him.
1. “Gavrilov’s Night”, or the “20 June case”. On the night of 20-21 June 2019, security forces violently dispersed a large protest in Tbilisi. Investigators allege that Gakharia, then interior minister, ordered riot police to use crowd-control weapons without warning or giving peaceful protesters an opportunity to leave the area. Dozens of people were injured by rubber bullets, including two who each lost an eye, while five others suffered serious injuries.
2. The “Chorchana episode”. Investigators allege that in August 2019, Gakharia, then interior minister, unilaterally ordered the installation of an additional police checkpoint near the village of Chorchana in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone, without coordinating the move with the prime minister or the State Security Service and without informing the EU Monitoring Mission. The move sharply escalated tensions in the conflict zone.
Giorgi Gakharia’s statement
Following the ruling party representative’s announcement, Giorgi Gakharia, who now lives in Germany, posted his response in English on X.
Giorgi Gakharia: “Despite severe restrictions, we have consistently contested every election, regarding elections as the only peaceful and democratic path to political change.
Our party remains the only opposition force represented in parliament.
“By targeting us, Ivanishvili is seeking to ban the country’s only genuinely functioning parliamentary opposition.
“Even with a parliamentary majority, the Ivanishvili regime could not tolerate the presence of even one opposition party in parliament because it has no answer to criticism.
“This is another step by the Ivanishvili regime towards formally establishing authoritarian rule in Georgia and suppressing the political opposition.
“Whether we are banned or not, we will not abandon our goal of restoring democracy in Georgia and defending its European and Euro-Atlantic course,” Gakharia wrote.
News in Georgia
