Georgia’s Constitutional Court held the third day of hearings on a lawsuit filed by 88 MPs from the ruling Georgian Dream party seeking to ban five opposition parties: Unity – National Movement, Coalition for Change, Lelo – Strong Georgia, Gakharia for Georgia and the Federalists.
Georgian Dream argues that the parties have violated Article 23 of the constitution, which prohibits political parties whose objectives include overthrowing or forcibly changing the country’s constitutional order. One of the arguments cited in the lawsuit is the parties’ refusal to recognise the legitimacy of the current authorities. The lawsuit also accuses them of organising attempts to overthrow the government.
The National Movement faces additional accusations of undermining the country’s independence and violating its territorial integrity. The party is held responsible for the August 2008 war with Russia, when it was in power. All five opposition parties reject the allegations.
Hearings will resume on 26 October and continue throughout the week. The court must deliver its ruling by 24 June 2027.
Berdia Sichinava, representing Gakharia for Georgia, asked the court to postpone the hearing by one month. He argued that procedural rules allow that much time to prepare a response, but his party had only seven days from the announcement that hearings would begin. The United National Movement, Lelo and Coalition for Change joined the motion.
Archil Gorduladze, chair of parliament’s legal affairs committee and one of the MPs who filed the lawsuit, argued that neither the procedural rules, the organic law nor the constitution stipulates that failure to submit a response prevents the court from hearing the case.
The judges deliberated and unanimously rejected the motion. Court president Revaz Nadaraia said the request should have been submitted earlier, as proceedings had already been under way for three days. He added: “If you don’t like it, you don’t like it. What can I do about that?”
Judge Eva Gotsiridze noted that the proceedings would take a long time, adding: “You will have the month provided for in the procedural rules.”
