PM: Gakharia For Georgia refuses to recognise the constitutional order; including them in the ban lawsuit was inevitable

“Gakharia For Georgia continues to refuse to recognise the constitutional order and the legitimacy of the government. The ethos of this political party’s activities is in no way distinguishable from the other targeted opposition groups; consequently, in our view, adding this party to the constitutional lawsuit was inevitable,” stated Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze regarding the addition of the Gakharia For Georgia party to the ongoing Constitutional Court lawsuit.

According to Kobakhidze, the party was given ample time to recognise the constitutional framework.

“Although they entered Parliament, to this day they refuse to acknowledge the constitutional order and the legitimacy of the government. Under these circumstances, this party’s conduct is indistinguishable from that of its rivals. Therefore, in our assessment, including this specific party in the lawsuit was the only viable choice.

We afforded this party time to accept the constitutional order. An entire parliamentary session has passed, yet they failed to do so and actively challenged the constitutional setup. Numerous statements from them reflect this stance; they refuse to recognise the constitutional order. The rest of the details are in the lawsuit, and the hearings will be open to the public. We intend to lay out our arguments openly for everyone to see. I can’t predict exactly when this will wrap up; the legal limit is nine months, but we certainly hope it doesn’t drag on that long. Ultimately, the final timeline is entirely up to the court,” the Prime Minister declared.

For context, ruling party Georgian Dream is seeking a legal ban on the party Gakharia For Georgia through the Constitutional Court. Previously, the ruling party has submitted a Constitutional Court claim seeking to outlaw four key opposition groups: the United National Movement, Coalition for Change, Strong Georgia–Lelo, and the Federalists.