Georgian PM suggests possibility of banning opposition parties

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has not ruled out the possibility of appealing to the Constitutional Court to outlaw opposition political forces in the country.

"They (oppositionists) have openly opposed the constitutional system of Georgia these days, which creates a direct basis for appealing to the Constitutional Court and declaring opposition parties unconstitutional. Let's see, let's wait and see how the processes will develop. Everything is in our hands," Kobakhidze said, Caliber.Az reports citing Russian media.

The Georgian Prime Minister specified that by "opposition," he was referring to the United National Movement, led by former President Mikheil Saakashvili, Coalition for Change and Strong Georgia, as well as the party Gakharia - for Georgia, founded by former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia.

A new wave of protests erupted in Georgia on November 28, sparked by a statement made by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. He announced that the ruling Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia party had decided not to prioritize the issue of EU accession talks until the end of 2028 and to refuse all budget grants from the European Union.

Kobakhidze explained that the decision was driven by what he described as constant blackmail from the EU regarding the start of accession negotiations, demands to repeal several laws passed by the Georgian parliament, and calls for sanctions against the Georgian government.

By Vafa Guliyeva