TBILISI, September 15 – Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party says it will ask the Constitutional Court to ban former prime minister Giorgi Gakharia’s party, For Georgia, expanding an existing case against several opposition groups.
Majority leader Irakli Kirtskhalia announced the move on Monday, saying the party would be added to a constitutional lawsuit already seeking to outlaw the United National Movement, Coalition for Change, Strong Georgia-Lelo and the Federalists. He said the updated lawsuit would be filed this week.
Kirtskhalia said Georgian Dream had initially given Gakharia’s party a chance to take part fully in parliamentary life, but now accused it of refusing to recognize Georgia’s constitutional order and of engaging in what he called destructive activity. He said the lawsuit does not seek to strip the party’s MPs or local council members of their mandates.
On Tuesday, Georgian Dream MP and deputy speaker Nino Tsilosani said Gakharia’s team had been given a chance to change what she called its anti-state policies and operate within the constitutional system. She accused the party of sharing the politics of the United National Movement, supporting revolutionary scenarios, discrediting Georgia internationally and refusing to recognize constitutional institutions.
Georgian Dream MP Tengiz Sharmanashvili said the ruling party would ask the Constitutional Court to complete consideration of the case by January, though he acknowledged that the court could not be ordered to meet that timetable. He said the aim was to remove parties that Georgian Dream considers unconstitutional from political activity.
Gakharia rejected the move and pointed out that his party had consistently taken part in elections and was currently the only opposition party working in parliament. He accused Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili of trying to eliminate the last functioning parliamentary opposition.
“Whether they ban us or not, we will not back down from restoring democracy in Georgia and defending its European and Euro-Atlantic path,” Gakharia wrote on X.
Party member Giorgi Sharashidze also said the move would not stop For Georgia from continuing its parliamentary work. He argued that the timing was linked to the party’s recent criticism of developments in the breakaway South Ossetia region, though he offered this as the party’s interpretation of Georgian Dream’s motives.
The decision comes as Gakharia for Georgia continues to operate a 12-member parliamentary faction. On Tuesday, parliament rejected one of the party’s bills seeking to restore pre-2024 rules on public assemblies and demonstrations. The proposal received 28 votes in favor and 16 against, falling short of the number needed for passage. Sixteen MPs from Georgian Dream and People’s Power voted for it, something first deputy speaker Gia Volski later attributed to them apparently pressing the voting button “by inertia.”
