“The UNM was protected by the European bureaucracy, and at one point, by the American bureaucracy as well. People have become accustomed to this, but I believe that direct exposure, self-lustration, and attempts to cover up for the UNM should hardly be wanted by these forces; I am referring to the European bureaucracy. Let’s see how the processes unfold,” said Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze live on Imedi TV regarding the government’s steps following the constitutional lawsuit.
According to Kobakhidze, it is the government’s responsibility to its people, its state, and its democratic system to decisively remove undemocratic and unconstitutional political forces from the system once and for all.
“They are making so many illogical and unjust decisions that one can imagine anything, but let us hope they will approach all of this pragmatically and refrain from defending the United National Movement so openly.
Everyone has seen this before, since 2012, and even since 2004, that similar individuals were defending the bloody regime. Torture, murder, organised crime, media hijacking, where was the criticism back then? Where were the similar statements? The same people were directly protecting that brutal regime; perhaps their names and surnames differed, but the overall picture remained the same. After 2012, you may recall, they explicitly prevented the Georgian Dream from punishing the offenders.
They spoke out directly at the highest level; Barroso, the then Chief Representative of the European Union, stated: “You cannot detain them; you should not target the criminals.” This shield was literally within our grasp. Everyone knows that the United National Movement was protected by European bureaucrats, and at one point, by American bureaucrats as well. People have become accustomed to this, but I believe that direct exposure, self-lustration, and attempts to cover up for the UNM should hardly be wanted by these forces; I am referring to the European bureaucracy.
Let us see how the remaining processes unfold. However, our responsibility to our people, our state, and our democratic system is clear: to remove undemocratic and unconstitutional political forces from this system once and for all, so that Georgia can find peace. This is the primary task to free our country from constant radicalism, hatred, incitement of enmity, and confrontation with the democratic order. We cannot live under this regime indefinitely.
For five years, these individuals have been claiming that we are unconstitutional. Let someone determine whether we are or they are unconstitutional. We have demonstrated, with facts, that one of these sides must necessarily be unconstitutional, and it is the radical opposition. We prove, with evidence, that among the two sides, the ruling party and the radical opposition, it is the opposition that is unconstitutional,” said the Prime Minister.
Irakli Kobakhidze stated that one of the main issues behind the constitutional lawsuit is the ongoing attempt to punish the elected government by external forces, effectively targeting the Georgian people. He described this as an open attack on the country’s interests, which warrants thorough scrutiny. In this context, Kobakhidze also referred to Georgia’s failure to secure EU candidate status in 2022 and the subsequent developments.
“Initially, there was sabotage surrounding our candidate status. Until June 2022, they insisted that we did not deserve to be granted candidate status. It was clear they had prepared in advance for an attempted revolution, knowing full well that we would not be awarded candidate status in June. They then continued to claim for over a year and a half that we did not deserve it.
When working groups were established in June 2022 to pursue candidate status, they declared a boycott without any legitimate grounds; there was no basis for their actions, only agitation. The same pattern repeated regarding the opening of negotiations. What actions could be more unconstitutional, more damaging to national interests, or more directed against the country’s independence and territorial integrity?
The same applies to visa liberalisation. They are trying to punish the Georgian people, the government, and the state itself. What could be more harmful? What more constitutes an attempt to undermine the independence and sovereignty of your country?
This is an open attack on state interests. Naturally, such matters require assessment, and according to the Georgian Constitution, the Constitutional Court of Georgia is the body authorised to make such a judgement,” said Irakli Kobakhidze.
The Prime Minister of Georgia explained that banning parties is not a matter of subjective interest for the government. Having secured victory in ten consecutive elections over the past 13 years, Kobakhidze affirms that the government is driven by a genuine commitment to fostering a healthy and stable political system.
“For thirteen years now, we have won ten elections in a row against the political force that is being discussed in relation to banning. Subjectively, this is no longer an issue for us; Georgian Dream remains in power and receives a mandate from the Georgian people each time. However, this alone is not enough; the most important thing is that the country’s interests are safeguarded,” Irakli Kobakhidze stated.
According to Irakli Kobakhidze, winning elections repeatedly does not ultimately provide the ruling team with the opportunity to establish a fully functioning democratic political system in the country. This was the primary motivation behind drafting the constitutional lawsuit.
“We may win elections every time and maintain the mandate we receive from the people, but ultimately, this does not allow us to fulfil our main task, which is to establish a genuine, fully functioning democratic political system in the country. This responsibility motivates us, not a subjective desire to remain in power. We are already managing to do so. In some ways, the existence of these political forces even makes it easier for us to stay in power. When your only opponent is a completely outdated political force, it naturally increases the chances of the ruling party. This is not motivated by subjective interests; rather, it is an objective commitment to establishing a healthy system in Georgia,” said Irakli Kobakhidze.
The Georgian Prime Minister also addressed the matter of circumventing the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the ban of a political party.
“In many countries, including our own, the issue of successor parties is well-regulated. These regulations provide us with the means, from the very outset to the very end, to prevent attempts to bypass the Constitutional Court’s decision on banning a party. If such attempts are made, we can subsequently extend the ban to include the so-called successor parties,” Kobakhidze explained.
According to Kobakhidze, therefore, from a practical standpoint, it was unnecessary to include specific names and surnames in the constitutional lawsuit.
“As for the Lelo MPs in local government, local authorities remain at an administrative level and therefore have limited influence on the broader political process. Accordingly, we made this decision in relation to the lawsuit. Regarding successor parties, if someone wishes to establish a new party with the same programme as existing ones, we have regulations in place that are consistent with international standards. A decision on banning such successor parties will be made swiftly,” said Irakli Kobakhidze.
