The ruling Georgian Dream party said it had appealed to the Constitutional Court to ban three key opposition forces – the United National Movement, Coalition for Change, and Strong Georgia/Lelo – while warning that other smaller groups “closely related” to them could face similar action.
According to Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, who presented the appeal during an October 28 briefing, the move will not affect “associated individuals” of the parties deemed unconstitutional, despite recent legislative amendments allowing such actions. The appeal also spares ex-PM Giorgi Gakharia’s opposition For Georgia party, whose members today took their seats in the disputed parliament after a yearlong boycott.
“Along with other violations, the evidence shows that respective political parties have, in a practically constant manner, denied both the domestic political and foreign policy legitimacy of the current Georgian government and ruling political party, and thus its constitutionality,” Papuashvili said. “In doing so, these parties acknowledge that between themselves and the ruling party, one of the parties must be declared unconstitutional.”
The Constitutional Court, widely seen as loyal to Georgian Dream, has nine months to deliberate on the appeal and decide whether to ban the opposition forces. Judge Irine Imerlishvili recently resigned as the appeal was being prepared, later explaining her decision by citing a job offer in the private sector. GD-elected President Mikheil Kavelashvili has already appointed Giorgi Modebadze as a new judge to the Court.
The appeal is based on a voluminous report by the disputed Parliament’s temporary investigative commission, chaired by Georgian Dream veteran Tea Tsulukiani, which examined alleged crimes committed by former officials.
The appeal will invoke Article 23 of the Georgian Constitution, which deems inadmissible the establishment and activity of a political party “that aims to overthrow or forcibly change the constitutional order of Georgia, infringe on the independence or violate the territorial integrity of the country, or that propagates war or violence or incites national, ethnic, provincial, religious or social strife.”
More to follow…