Ruling party MP defends bid to ban opposition parties, claims they act under external direction

Archil Gorduladze, chairman of the Georgian Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee and a member of the ruling Georgian Dream party, has defended a lawsuit seeking to ban five opposition parties, describing them as agents acting in the interests of external patrons.

Gorduladze said the opposition parties shared common political goals and had crossed constitutional boundaries through actions he claimed undermined human rights, Georgia’s economy and social conditions, and the democratic choices of voters.

“We have so-called political parties in the opposition landscape, represented under various labels and with different political identities, whose goal is to trample on human rights, undermine our country’s economy and social conditions, disregard the people’s choice expressed through democracy, and encourage extremism,” Gorduladze said.

He argued that the parties’ alleged cooperation and shared positions provided grounds for banning them, and said Georgian Dream would present its arguments before the Constitutional Court.

Gorduladze also compared criticism of the lawsuit to the controversy surrounding Georgia’s law on foreign influence, which opponents have described as a “Russian law.” He said critics were again focusing on the political implications of the case rather than its legal substance.

Referring to "foreign supporters" of the opposition, Gorduladze said “their patrons would do anything to protect their agents” in Georgia. 

The lawsuit, signed by 88 members of parliament, seeks to have five opposition parties declared unconstitutional, banned and stripped of their registration - United National Movement, Coalition for Change, Strong Georgia – Lelo, the Federalist Party, and Gakharia for Georgia.

The claim argues that the parties have consistently rejected the legitimacy of the government and ruling party, cooperated through political alliances and pursued actions that allegedly undermine Georgia’s constitutional order. It also refers to their rejection of the official results of the 2024 parliamentary elections and their cooperation in local government.

Opposition parties reject the ruling party’s position and have described the legal action as politically motivated. Critics warn that banning the parties could severely restrict political competition and deprive a large number of voters of representation.

The Constitutional Court began substantive hearings on the case in Batumi on 21 October, with proceedings scheduled to continue through 23 October. The court is expected to issue its ruling by June 2027.