UNM: ban on opposition parties will disenfranchise more than one million voters

Irakli Pavlenishvili, head of the collegial governing body of the United National Movement (UNM), has said that more than one million people cannot be deprived of their right to vote, warning that any decision to ban opposition parties would be unlawful.

Speaking at a briefing Tuesday, Pavlenishvili said the ongoing Constitutional Court proceedings would establish what he described as the historical truth about the UNM.

He accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of using the proceedings for political revenge and argued that the case against opposition parties was politically motivated rather than based on an immediate threat, as required under Article 23 of Georgia’s Constitution.

Pavlenishvili also criticised the findings of the parliamentary commission led by Thea Tsulukiani, describing them as biased and absurd. He claimed that the commission’s witnesses were individuals opposed to former president Mikheil Saakashvili and the UNM.

He further alleged that the proceedings sought to undermine rulings by the European Court of Human Rights and the International Court of Justice, and to legitimize Russian narratives concerning Georgia.

Referring to the next court hearing, scheduled for next week, Pavlenishvili said further questioning would expose what he called false claims by Georgian Dream and demonstrate the UNM’s historical position.

“Whatever decision they make, they cannot take away the right to vote from more than one million people. It will be unlawful, and the Georgian people will ultimately prevail,” Pavlenishvili said