Georgian PM says Constitutional Court decision could neutralise radical opposition’s sabotage efforts

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Thursday said the radical opposition would be completely deprived of the resources to continue its “sabotage” against the state should a constitutional lawsuit be satisfied.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Kobakhidze detailed the extensive consequences this would entail, including their inability to participate in elections and the cancellation of party registrations.

“If the constitutional lawsuit is satisfied, representatives of the radical opposition will not be able to participate in the elections, party registrations will be canceled, and so-called “successor parties” will not be created. Consequently, they will ultimately have no resources to continue the sabotage against the state”, the PM said.

The Prime Minister further stressed that the radical opposition would be entirely left without a platform, suggesting that under such conditions, the current “completely unhealthy political spectrum” would be replaced by a healthy one.

Kobakhidze elaborated on the legal implications, noting that the legislation ensures that circumventing the ban - such as through the creation of successor parties - would not be possible.

“This is what the legislation ensures. Consequently, they will ultimately have no resources to continue the sabotage against the state”, Kobakhidze continued.

He further argued that the opposition has already lost several avenues of influence.

“They have lost the street platform due to a lack of support. They voluntarily lost the parliamentary platform. They no longer have a platform in local councils. The only platform left for them is to take them sometimes to Brussels, sometimes to Berlin, and sometimes to other capitals, and they talk about something from there, but the Georgian people are not at all interested in this. What is said from Brussels is of no interest to anyone”, Kobakhidze asserted.

The Prime Minister concluded by saying that the primary goal should be the rehabilitation of the democratic system and the creation of a “healthy democratic system”.

Irakli Kirtskhalia, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party faction in the legislative body, on Monday announced that the ruling team would file a lawsuit prepared based on the conclusion of the Parliament’s Temporary Investigative Commission, examining crimes committed by the former United National Movement Government between 2003 and 2012, with the Constitutional Court in the near future.