TBILISI, December 15 – A lawmaker from the party For Georgia has dismissed a legal challenge at the Constitutional Court filed by the larger opposition party United National Movement (UNM) as a mere political maneuver.
Vika Pilpani, an MP from the party founded by former prime minister Giorgi Gakharia, spoke on Monday about UNM’s decision to challenge laws adopted by the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party. Those laws restrict political activity by certain parties and individuals. UNM argues the legislation is unconstitutional and has asked the Constitutional Court to strike it down.
Pilpani said it was hard to take the lawsuit seriously, claiming UNM turns to the courts only when it suits its interests. According to her, the party alternates between recognizing the authority of the judiciary and rejecting it, depending on political convenience.
She also questioned UNM’s expectations from the Constitutional Court, arguing that the party itself played a central role in shaping the judicial system in earlier years. Pilpani said UNM members behave as if politics revolves around them, adding that this, in her view, does not reflect reality.
Addressing the broader debate, Pilpani said she does not believe UNM is under any real threat of being outlawed. On the contrary, she argued that Georgian Dream has helped keep UNM politically relevant over the past decade. She said the two major rivals feed off each other and suggested that neither can survive politically without the other. In her assessment, the future of both parties should be decided by voters, not by constitutional bans.
Pilpani also criticized the idea of prohibiting political parties through constitutional mechanisms, saying such bans contradict democratic principles regardless of how they are framed legally.
UNM filed its complaint in response to laws passed by GD that limit political activity. Earlier, 88 members of parliament submitted a separate request to the Constitutional Court, asking it to assess the constitutionality of three opposition parties. Apart from the UNM, those parties include the Coalition for Change grouping led by figures such as Gvaramia and Melia, and the Strong Georgia alliance led by Lelo.
