GD Terminates Mandates of 49 Opposition MPs, Stages New Parliamentary Group Formation

On February 5, the GD parliament terminated the mandates of 49 opposition MPs from three political alliances. The Coalition for Change, Unity-UNM and Strong Georgia had submitted formal requests to the GD parliament for their mandates to be revoked following the disputed October 26 elections, which they assess as rigged. Opposition leaders predict a new wave of government repression, while the GD justifies its move as necessary to curb “political sabotage”. Immediately following the decision, three MPs from the GD announced their “departure” from the party, staging the formation of a “new opposition parliamentary group” based on the parliamentary group “European Socialists.”

The terminated mandates include:

• “Coalition for Change – Gvaramia, Melia, Girchi, Droa” (19 seats)
• “Unity – United National Movement” (16 seats)
• “Strong Georgia – Lelo, For the People, For Freedom!” (14 seats)

Davit Matikashvili, chairman of the GD Parliament’s Committee on Procedural Issues and Rules, said: “The committee has considered and supported their [the three opposition groups’] written request for early termination of their mandates.

For opposition politicians, the loss of their mandates means that they will no longer be protected by parliamentary immunity. According to the Legislative Herald of Georgia (Matsne), the immunity ensures that MPs “cannot be held accountable for their opinions and views expressed during the performance of their duties, whether inside or outside parliament.” It also stipulates that “the arrest or detention of a member of parliament, or the search of their home, car, workplace, or personal belongings, can only occur with the consent of parliament.”

GD Parliament also terminated a mandate of Irakli (Dachi) Beraia, since he was appointed as GD’s Deputy Minister of Justice.

Opposition Predicts Political Reprisals

Opposition leaders warn that the mandate termination could lead to a new wave of repression by the GD government. “Ivanishvili has orders from the Kremlin to neutralize all politicians who play a significant role in civil resistance and protests,” stated Irakli Kupradze, one of the leader of Strong Georgia.

Echoing this sentiment, Khatia Dekanoidze of the United National Movement emphasized resilience against pressure from the GD party, stating that in this political turmoil, the key important thing is “to push this regime in a way that ensures its downfall. That is our main objective.”

Tengo Tevzadze from the Coalition for Change reinforced the opposition’s determination, adding that “No instrument or leverage can be used by ‘Georgian Dream’ to pressure against us, not even arrests, imprisonment, or taking people hostage.”

The opposition party, Gakharia – For Georgia, which secured 12 seats in the 26th October’s disputed election refuses to participate in legislative activities and doesn’t recognize the legitimacy of the Parliament. However, they have not yet submitted formal requests for mandate termination to the GD parliament.

GD’s Position

For his part, Mamuka Mdinaradze, the parliamentary majority leader, argued that opposition MPs had deliberately used their mandates as a “tool for political sabotage”, which required decisive action by the ruling party. He claimed that opposition politicians “really want to enter parliament” but are “not free” to do so.

“If we allow this precedent again, as we did before, they will remain in a sabotage mode indefinitely—until they win, and ‘Natsi’ (a derogatory term for the United National Movement) will never win in Georgia. They will always follow external instructions and use their harmful decision as a tool for sabotage.”

Formation of “European Socialists”

After the GD voted to end the opposition mandates, three MPs from the GD party, Ilia Injia, Varlam Liparteliani and Nika Elisashvili, held a briefing, and announced that they were “leaving” the GD to form a new opposition group called European Socialists. They said that the aim was to challenge the “influence of Unity-UNM” and help the formation of a “healthy opposition” in the country.

Injiia claimed that “without a healthy opposition, a healthy democratic system can never be established. I am confident that our work will play a significant role in shaping a political system focused on the country’s development.”

Earlier, in the X convocation of the Georgian Parliament, People’s Power has staged its departure to the opposition citing the same motive of forming a “healthy opposition.” People’s Power introduced the Foreign Agents’ law and has regularly published lengthy letters slamming the West and also pushing the populist-conservative agenda.

Also Read:

• 04/02/2025 – GD Parliament Opens Spring Session Amid Protests, Kavelashvili Addresses MPs
• 25/11/2024 – Parliament Convenes, Recognizes Credentials of All 150 MPs Despite Questions Over Their Legitimacy

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)