Georgia’s PM backs banning opposition parties to “defend democracy”

Banning several opposition parties is essential to safeguard Georgia’s democracy, as some of these political forces oppose the country’s statehood and refuse to recognise the legitimacy of the current government, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said, according to TASS.

“This is an important case for our country,” Kobakhidze told reporters. “You can see that our country and its political system are moving in a vicious circle. There is a criminal group, a foreign agency, that keeps the country trapped in this cycle. These are anti-democratic and unconstitutional forces by their very nature, which are constantly trying to overthrow the constitutional order of the country."

“Under such conditions, of course, the democratic system must defend itself,” the prime minister added.

Earlier, the ruling Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia party submitted a lawsuit to the country’s Constitutional Court seeking to ban several political organisations, including former President Mikheil Saakashvili’s United National Movement (UNM), as well as the Coalition for Change and Strong Georgia associations.

The lawsuit was based on the findings of a parliamentary investigative commission, which concluded that during the period of Saakashvili’s rule from 2004 to 2012, massive human rights violations had taken place and were systemic in nature. The commission also stated that after Georgian Dream came to power in 2012, Saakashvili’s party, now in opposition, continued subversive activities against the state.

Saakashvili, who also holds Ukrainian citizenship, has faced multiple criminal convictions in Georgia.

On May 21, the Tbilisi Court of Appeal upheld a lower court’s verdict against him for illegally crossing Georgia’s state border, rejecting his appeal and maintaining the original sentence.

Earlier, on March 17, the Tbilisi City Court sentenced Saakashvili to four years and six months in prison for the same offence, part of which is to be served consecutively with an eight-year prison term from a March 12 conviction, which also barred him from holding public office for three years.

Under Georgian law, his prison term is calculated from October 1, 2021. Unless he receives a presidential pardon or a conditional release from the parole board, which considers the severity of the offence, prisoner conduct, and risk assessments, Saakashvili is expected to remain in prison until 2034.

By Tamilla Hasanova