Lelo’s Sioridze: Not Surprised by Manana Kobakhidze’s attempt to avoid involvement in grave decision

Lelo – Strong Georgia member Giorgi Sioridze said the party was not surprised by Constitutional Court Judge Manana Kobakhidze’s attempt to recuse herself from the case concerning a potential ban on opposition parties, warning that those involved could face international, financial and visa sanctions, as well as condemnation by Georgian society and a place of shame in the country’s history.

According to Sioridze, Georgian Dream will have to pay the highest political price it has ever faced.

“Its attempt to avoid taking part in this extremely grave decision does not surprise us. However, it must be clearly understood that anyone who participates in implementing Ivanishvili’s plan faces not only international, financial and visa sanctions, but also the harshest verdict from Georgian society and a shameful place in Georgia’s history,” Sioridze said.

He accused Bidzina Ivanishvili of forcing people to take part in what he described as an unconstitutional and criminal act.

“Ivanishvili operates according to the principles of a criminal syndicate and forces everyone to participate in this unconstitutional, criminal act. Ivanishvili’s regime intends to ban political parties that, according to the authorities’ own official figures, have the support of nearly one million citizens.

“The process of banning political parties is the biggest step Georgian Dream plans to take toward burying democracy in Georgia. This move harms our state and national interests and constitutes sabotage of our country’s integration into the Euro-Atlantic space, thereby violating the Constitution of Georgia, specifically Article 78.

“The visa-free travel regime with the European Union, Georgia’s EU candidate status, financial assistance and all the other privileges our country has enjoyed — and from which Georgian citizens have benefited first and foremost — could be put at risk.

“Therefore, we are dealing with a historic crime for which Georgian Dream will have to pay the highest political price it has ever faced, both domestically and internationally,” Sioridze said.

For context, the Constitutional Court rejected a motion by its member Manana Kobakhidze to recuse herself from consideration of the lawsuit concerning a ban on political parties.