GD to Ban Opposition Groups Under “Successor Parties” Law, Declare Them Unconstitutional

Georgian Dream parliamentary majority leader Mamuka Mdinaradze announced the introduction of a bill, he referred to as “successor parties law”, which targets opposition groups deemed “hostile” to the state by the ruling party. The law aims to ban political forces “whose activities, the personal composition of decision-makers, or statutory goals” are identical to those of “the collective UNM”, Mdinaradze said, describing them as “anti-Georgian, anti-constitutional, anti-national, and criminal.” He also announced the ruling party’s plan to appeal to the Constitutional Court of Georgia regarding the declaration of the United National Movement and “its satellite parties” unconstitutional.

Speaking at a press briefing on March 27, Mdinaradze said:”We would like to remind you that declaring the United National Movement unconstitutional was also our pre-election promise”. He further said: “It is already clear that the final conclusion of the temporary investigative commission of the Parliament will give us a solid basis to appeal to the Constitutional Court of Georgia regarding the declaration of the “National Movement” and its satellite parties as unconstitutional.”

Regarding the draft law prepared by the GD, he said it was designed to ban parties that operate with a “common hostile purpose against the country”.

As potential targets of the law, he identified the four main opposition political forces, which passed the threshold in the October 26, 2024 parliamentary elections. They form what he called the “collective UNM,” whose members, he said, would no longer be allowed to participate in any elections.

“From the very first sessions of the investigative commission, it became clear that the authors of the outrageous crimes committed in the past and their accomplices – political parties acting with a common, hostile purpose towards the country – must leave politics,” Mdinaradze said.

Otherwise, he said, “it will be impossible for a real, action-oriented, national-interest-oriented, strong opposition to emerge, which will not be busy fulfilling orders received from outside the country”.

Mdinaradze also announced the extension of the mandate of the temporary parliamentary Investigative Commission, investigating alleged systemic crimes under the previous United National Government, to cover the period from 2003 to the present, i.e. including period from 2012, when the Georgian Dream came to power. “The need to investigate actions related to the events after 2012 became clear,” Mdinaradze said, accusing opposition figures of continuing “anti-state actions” in recent years, including alleged “efforts to violently change Georgia’s constitutional order.” He added that “after 2012, they have committed numerous anti-state actions that require appropriate legal assessment and response.”

In September 2024 by Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of the Georgian Dream party declared his intention to dismantle what he called the “collective UNM” in order to block “attempts to impose pseudo-liberal values from abroad.” Ivanishvili claimed such a move is necessary to protect Georgia’s sovereignty and preserve its cultural identity.

Mdinaradze’s statement comes as Georgian prosecutor launched an investigation into opposition leaders. On March 26, prosecutors opened an investigation into Lelo party leader Mamuka Khazaradze for refusal to appear before the investigative commission, a charge that could lead to a fine or up to a year in prison. Khazaradze appeared in court on March 27 for questioning. The commission also requested an investigation into another Lelo leader, Badri Japaridze, who also refused to appear before the commission.

Also Read:

• 25/03/2025 – GD’s UNM Investigative Commission to Request Prosecution of Mamuka Khazaradze
• 25/02/2025 – GD Moves to Ban Foreign Funding of Broadcasters, Give Sweeping Powers to Communications Commission to Regulate Content
• 16/07/2024 – Ivanishvili Launches GD Campaign with “Global Party of War” Conspiracy as its Pivot
• 29/04/2024 – Bidzina Ivanishvili Backs Anti-Western Policies, Threatens Repressions

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