Ruling party official says GD ready to pursue constitutional lawsuit to ban opposition UNM party after upcoming local elections

Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday announced the ruling Georgian Dream party’s decision to extend the mandate of the Parliament’s Temporary Investigative Commission, examining crimes committed by the former United National Movement Government between 2003 and 2012, by one month.

In his remarks, Mdinaradze noted that the ruling team was ready to pursue a constitutional lawsuit to ban the opposition United National Movement party after the upcoming local elections scheduled for October.

“The Georgian Dream [party] is ready to let the Georgian people give a proper response to the agent-led parties in this year's local elections, and after the victory, the ruling party intends to prepare a constitutional lawsuit, which should objectively serve as the basis for the Constitutional Court to ban the collective United National Movement [opposition] this year”, the ruling party official said.

Mdinaradze noted that during the Commission’s work, numerous arguments and facts were uncovered, prompting the Parliament to expand the Commission’s mandate to investigate not only the period from 2003 to 2012, but up to the present day.

He acknowledged that investigating every case in detail was practically impossible but assured that the Commission was working with maximum effort to cover as much ground as possible.

He stressed that this approach also prevented any speculation - domestic or international - that the Georgian Dream was hastily moving to ban a political opponent right before elections.

“Since the Commission’s extension became necessary, we will not rush the process. The public remembers well the heinous crimes committed by individuals still calling themselves politicians. Today was yet another reminder of how disgracefully some foreign-directed figures behave - entangled in their own lies, betraying their teams and country”, Mdinaradze noted.

He concluded by expressing confidence that the commission will continue to reveal more truths about the actions of these so-called agent-driven parties and politicians.