The Georgian Dream parliament on July 2 terminated the mandates of 12 members of former GD Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia’s For Georgia party, which, like other opposition forces, is boycotting the one-party legislature but, unlike them, had not itself formally renounced its mandates.
“They have ditched parliament for all this period – of course, they will lose their mandates,” GD parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili told reporters on July 1, a day before the decision was made.
Despite the termination of the mandates, which GD MPs carried out one by one with For Georgia MPs, the party can still enter the rump parliament if the next 12 members on its list choose to take up the seats. The law requires each member to submit a personal letter to revoke their mandate.
Giorgi Gakharia reacted to the decision in a post on X, saying the party refused to enter what he called a “captured legislature,” while “not surrendering our people’s mandate.” He added that the GD’s decision to terminate For Georgia party members “was never about procedure, it was about clearing the way for politically motivated prosecutions, revoking immunity ahead of fabricated charges, and eliminating a major political threat before the municipal elections.”
Back in February, the GD parliament terminated 49 mandates from the Coalition for Change, Unity–UNM, and Strong Georgia coalitions, all of whom had renounced their seats after they declared the October 26, 2024, elections rigged. In Gakharia’s party’s case, however, the GD MPs’ decision came without such a precondition.
The first on the For Georgia list was Giorgi Gakharia himself, who, beyond the issue of renouncing MP mandates, also stood apart from other opposition leaders in agreeing to testify before the Tsulukiani Commission in the same contested parliament. He argued that his appearance did not lend legitimacy to the rump legislature, contrary to the position of other opposition figures, who are now behind bars for defying the commission’s summonses.
Gakharia, who has been resummoned and is currently in Germany, is scheduled to testify remotely on July 2 before the Tsulukiani Commission tasked with investigating alleged misconduct by former officials.
It remains unclear when or whether Gakharia will return to Georgia. The Prosecutor’s Office is investigating him on charges of “sabotage,” which carries a prison sentence of 15 to 20 years.
Gakharia’s party also plans to take part in the local elections scheduled for October 4. Among major opposition forces, Lelo also leans toward participation, while eight groups have vowed to boycott the polls, viewing non-cooperation with Georgian Dream rule as the only “path to victory.”
NOTE: This news article was updated July 2 at 14:45 to include Giorgi Gakharia’s reaction to Georgian Dream’s termination of his party members’ parliamentary mandates.
Also Read:
- 08/02/2025 – Opposition Leader Mamuka Khazaradze Calls on Gakharia’s Party to Renounce Parliamentary Mandates
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