Georgia’s Parliament moves to terminate mandates of 49 of 61 opposition MPs

The Georgian Parliament has taken the initial steps to terminate the mandates of 49 opposition lawmakers, following a decision by the Committee on Procedural Issues and Rules. The committee, composed exclusively of members from the ruling Georgian Dream party and its ally, People’s Power, on Wednesday unanimously supported the early termination requests submitted by the opposition MPs themselves.

Among the lawmakers seeking to vacate their seats, 19 represent the Coalition for Change, 16 are from Unity – National Movement, and 14 belong to Strong Georgia. Their resignations come in protest against what they claim were fraudulent parliamentary elections held on October 26, 2024. According to official results, Georgian Dream secured 89 out of the 150 parliamentary seats, maintaining its ruling majority.

Opposition parties have declared the newly formed 11th Parliament illegitimate, refusing to participate in legislative activities and demanding fresh elections. In November and December 2024, representatives of the three opposition parties submitted formal requests for the early termination of their mandates.

The Committee’s decision, supported by all seven of its ruling party members, will now proceed to a vote in a plenary session of Parliament. “The moment is already in session of the Georgian parliament. The Parliament will make a political decision,” said Committee Chairman Davit Matikashvili.

Meanwhile, another opposition party, Gakharia for Georgia, which officially won 12 seats in the new Parliament, also considers the elections illegitimate and supports the demand for fresh polls. However, unlike the other opposition groups, its members have not formally submitted resignations.

Since November 2024, Georgia has seen persistent protests demanding a rerun of the parliamentary elections, with demonstrators calling for increased transparency and electoral reform.