UNM’s Khatia Dekanoidze: Georgian Dream lawsuit is a Russian assignment directed against Georgian statehood

United National Movement member Khatia Dekanoidze asserted that Georgian Dream filed its lawsuit with the Constitutional Court at the direct behest of Russia.

Dekanoidze stated that the lawsuit poses a profound threat to Georgia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and statehood.

“I ask all patriotic Georgians living in Georgia to pay close attention: this concerns the directive issued by Bidzina Ivanishvili and Georgian Dream to the Constitutional Court to ban political parties. We do not view this merely as the revocation of a registration number or the disenfranchisement of specific individuals from political activity; rather, we see this treasonous lawsuit as a direct threat to Georgia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and statehood. This lawsuit relies entirely on the conclusions of Tsulukiani’s treasonous commission, but it is most dangerous because it incorporates two critical factors that stem directly from Russian demands.

First, it seeks to blame the Georgian state for the 2008 Russian military aggression, which is a direct Russian demand explicitly embedded within the lawsuit. It incorporates Galuzin’s demand that Georgia sign a Russian-drafted non-use-of-force document, which directly implies the recognition of the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions.

Second, at the highest constitutional level, following the review of this lawsuit, Georgia’s friends, the European Union and relations with all partners will be classified and established as anti-constitutional for the Georgian state. This is direct treason. I would not refer to this document in the Constitutional Court as merely a Georgian Dream lawsuit; it is a Zorkin document from start to finish. Valery Zorkin is the Chairman of the Constitutional Court of Russia, a man who assists Putin in almost every effort to cement autocracy and expand the Kremlin’s foreign policy. Kobakhidze, Ivanishvili, and other Georgian Dream representatives are pursuing anti-national policies. On Russian orders, using a lawsuit modelled directly after Zorkin’s document, they want Russian propaganda formally endorsed on Georgian soil as a ruling of our own Constitutional Court. Bidzina Ivanishvili has completely pocketed the Constitutional Court. The historic achievements and key legal facts established in The Hague and Strasbourg now risk being erased by Georgian Dream and Bidzina Ivanishvili in Batumi, done on Russian orders through this very Zorkin document, utterly contrary to the national interests of the Georgian people. Ivanishvili has nothing else to offer the Georgian people. Let us reflect on this,” Khatia Dekanoidze declared.

Dekanoidze explained that the United National Movement will shortly issue a formal statement on its participation in the court proceedings.

“First and foremost, this lawsuit is entirely a Russian directive, a Zorkin document, but our position will be made known in the near future; the United National Movement will make a separate statement on this. We believe we must defend the interests of the Georgian people in every way and on every front. What expectations could I have? This is a Zorkin document that Bidzina Ivanishvili is presenting in the form of a so-called lawsuit to a Constitutional Court he holds in his pocket. This is not a lawsuit about banning parties; it is a Zorkin document that Bidzina Ivanishvili had Kobakhidze prepare alongside Zorkin. This is a specific action directed against sovereignty and statehood at a time when Georgia faces severe hardships, poverty and distress among the people, and it directly serves Russian interests,” Dekanoidze stated.

Dekanoidze added that consultations about the lawsuit are ongoing with other opposition parties.

“I will not hide that, naturally, we are holding talks and consultations with other parties and colleagues surrounding this general process, as we always do. However, as I mentioned, our final decision regarding participation in this shameful process will be presented in the coming days,” Dekanoidze noted.

The constitutional lawsuit filed by 88 members of the Parliament of Georgia seeks to ban the activities of several political parties: Unity – National Movement, Coalition for Change – Gvaramia Melia Girchi Droa, Strong Georgia – Lelo, For the People, For Freedom, the Federalist Party, and Gakharia For Georgia. The Constitutional Court is scheduled to begin reviewing the lawsuit next week.