Constitutional Court to Continue Hearing on Party Ban Lawsuit Today

The hearing of the lawsuit by the ruling team on banning political parties at the Constitutional Court will continue today, October 22, at 12:00. The substantive hearing of the case will take place on October 21, 22 and 23.

The court has rejected all motions filed by representatives of opposition parties. Court Chairman Revaz Nadaraia says the court remains at the stage of considering motions. The case will be heard by a plenum of seven judges.

The lawsuit is signed by 88 members of parliament. They request that the court consider declaring five political associations unconstitutional: "Unity - National Movement", "Coalition for Change - Gvaramia, Melia, Girchi - It's Time", "Strong Georgia - LELO, for People, for Freedom!", "Federalist Party" and the party "Gakharia for Georgia".

According to the authors of the lawsuit, these associations have continuously since 2016 denied the domestic and foreign policy legitimacy of the current government and the ruling party. By doing so, they say, they acknowledge that one of the sides between them and the ruling party must necessarily be deemed unconstitutional.

The lawsuit also states that the aim of these parties' activities is to overthrow the constitutional order of Georgia by force, undermine its independence and violate its territorial integrity. Therefore, the authors of the lawsuit demand that the parties be declared unconstitutional and that their political activities be banned.

The argument also cites that all five parties for years were qualitatively presented with the same position in bodies elected by universal elections, in the political processes taking place in Georgia and in the unconstitutional actions described in the lawsuit, including sabotage carried out against the state. According to the lawsuit, they formed a coalition union acting with a common aspiration and continue to act this way today.

The constitutional lawsuit is accompanied by the conclusion of the temporary investigative commission created in the XI convocation of parliament.