Georgian PM: parliament needs “no opposition legitimacy” draws authority “from people alone”

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze declared on Wednesday that the nation’s newly elected Parliament requires “no legitimacy” from opposition parties, who have boycotted last month’s election results.

Speaking at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Baku, Kobakhidze emphasized that Parliament’s authority comes “solely from the Georgian people,” adding that the opposition’s refusal to accept mandates damages “their own credibility, not the institution’s.”

Challenging Transparency International Georgia’s assertion that the President must convene the new Parliament, Kobakhidze insisted the President’s role was “purely formal” and that the Constitution superseded any presidential decree.

Responding to opposition moves to annual party lists, Kobakhidze dismissed these actions as mere “publicity tactics,” stating Georgia’s laws included mechanisms to prevent such cancellations before the first parliamentary session.

The Prime Minister further argued that the opposition’s stance was unsustainable, noting that “constructive political forces” may soon replace it. He also dismissed election-rigging allegations, asserting that Georgia’s electronic voting system ensured a “fair and transparent process”.