Ex-PM Gakharia’s party “bolsters” parliamentary majority, opposition leader

Strong Georgia opposition leader Salome Samadashvili on Monday expressed concerns over the impact of former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia’s For Georgia party on the parliamentary landscape, following its refusal to relinquish 12 parliamentary mandates.

All three other opposition groups that secured seats in last year’s general elections had requested the suspension of their MP status. In total, 49 out of 61 opposition MPs in the 150-member parliament sought to vacate their mandates in protest. The ruling Georgian Dream party, which holds 89 seats, voted in favor of these suspensions last week.

While Gakharia’s party also boycotts parliamentary sessions, citing alleged electoral fraud and demanding fresh elections, it has not requested the suspension of its mandates. This has led to concerns among opposition figures about the party’s formal presence in the legislature.

Samadashvili said that international partners “recognize the ongoing political crisis in Georgia and acknowledge that new elections are necessary” to resolve it. However, she noted that these partners are also considering additional measures to pressure the government into calling fresh elections.

“International partners understand that new elections are essential to solving these problems. At the same time, they are looking for ways to increase pressure on the regime to move toward new elections,” she stated.

She also highlighted the challenge posed by Gakharia’s party maintaining its parliamentary mandates, arguing that it complicates the opposition’s unified stance against the government.

“At the international level, the fact that Gakharia’s party retains its mandates presents a serious challenge. What is the logic behind this decision?” Samadashvili questioned.