TBILISI, November 4 – Georgia’s Constitutional Court has begun reviewing a petition filed by 88 members of parliament that seeks to outlaw three major opposition political parties, accusing them of acting against the country’s constitutional order.
The case, announced Monday and published on the court’s official website, will be handled by the court’s First Collegium.
The petition targets the United National Movement (UNM), the country’s largest opposition group; the “Coalition for Change – Gvaramia Melia Girchi Droa”; and the bloc “Strong Georgia – Lelo, For the People, For Freedom.” The lawmakers argue that these parties have formed a unified political front that undermines Georgia’s sovereignty and constitutional system.
According to the suit, Georgia’s Constitution prohibits the creation or operation of any political party whose aim is to overthrow the constitutional order, threaten the nation’s independence or territorial integrity, promote war or violence, or incite ethnic, religious, or social hatred.
The MPs’ filing claims that the three opposition groups have repeatedly engaged in behavior consistent with these banned objectives. It states that since 2016, the parties have “consistently denied the legitimacy of Georgia’s current government and ruling party, both domestically and in foreign affairs,” and that such activity amounts to rejecting the constitutional framework itself.
“The evidence confirms that these political parties are driven by unconstitutional goals,” the petition reads. It argues that their charters, public statements, and actions demonstrate a continuous effort to delegitimize the state and create the conditions for political destabilization.
The lawmakers cite precedents from the European Court of Human Rights, which allows for party bans in cases where “factual and legal grounds exist” to show that an organization seeks to destroy democratic institutions. “It is entirely permissible in a democratic state to prohibit a political party when such grounds are proven,” the petition states.
The Constitutional Court’s review will determine whether the case proceeds to full deliberation, potentially setting the stage for one of Georgia’s most consequential legal and political battles in years.
The move comes amid deep polarization between the ruling Georgian Dream party and its opponents, with the opposition accusing the government of sliding toward authoritarianism, while officials argue they are defending constitutional stability against what they call radical and anti-state forces.
