MP Gorduladze: Opposition is filing baseless motions to drag out party ban hearing

“Two days of hearings have shown that the parties’ motions are aimed at prolonging, delaying and dragging out the Constitutional Court proceedings as much as possible. That is why they are filing motions with no legal basis and no connection to the case,” said MP Archil Gorduladze, a member of the parliamentary majority, during a break in the Constitutional Court hearing.

Gorduladze said Lelo had made a statement in court that insulted the country’s sovereignty and legitimacy.

“Lelo told the Constitutional Court that apparently it doesn’t know how procedural matters should be handled, and that it should ask Strasbourg’s Grand Chamber for its opinion on how to summon and seat the parties and who should file motions when. This is yet another attempt to declare the Constitutional Court, among others, illegitimate as a constitutional body. With this, Lelo has once again attacked the independent judiciary. On the other hand, it is directly trying to continue what began in 2022: claiming the court is illegitimate, refusing to recognise it, and now encouraging extremism in this form during the hearing itself. And there are outright lies, such as the claim that they need guidance from Strasbourg on standards; those standards have already been set in numerous judgments. So their aim is not to obtain information that might help the court; they want to delegitimise it,” Gorduladze said.

The Constitutional Court rejected a motion by Lelo – Strong Georgia to request an advisory opinion from the Strasbourg court.