US EditionGeorgian parliament speaker says ruling party asks court to ban three largest opposition blocs
The ruling Georgian Dream party seeks to ban three pro-Western opposition parties, accusing them of threatening constitutional order amid ongoing political crisis, the court has nine months to decide.
- Parliament's ruling Georgian Dream filed a suit asking the constitutional court to outlaw the Coalition for Change, United National Movement and Strong Georgia-Lelo on Tuesday in Tbilisi.
- Earlier this year, parliament passed a law easing party bans, and Georgian Dream figures including Bidzina Ivanishvili argued the opposition `systematically attempted to overthrow or forcibly change Georgia’s constitutional order` based on a parliamentary commission's findings tied to Mikheil Saakashvili.
- Several senior opposition figures are in jail and police have intensified arrests of protesters after more than a year of anti-government demonstrations, while Papuashvili said smaller groups `closely related` to the three main parties could also face action.
- Critics said the filing risks authoritarian rule, opposition figures denounced the appeal, and the constitutional court has nine months to decide on the request.
- Once pro‑Western Georgia has become rapidly more authoritarian since the Ukraine war, shelving EU‑membership talks with Brussels that sparked protests dwindling recently amid a clampdown.
26 Articles
26 Articles
Georgia's ruling party will ask court to ban three largest opposition parties
Georgia's ruling party will ask the Constitutional Court to ban the three largest opposition parties, the speaker of parliament said on Tuesday, in what would mark a sharp escalation in the drift towards authoritarian rule in the EU candidate nation.
Georgian parliament speaker says ruling party asks court to ban three largest opposition blocs
The speaker of Georgia's parliament said on Tuesday that the ruling Georgian Dream party is filing a lawsuit with the constitutional court to declare the three largest opposition parties illegal.
It is the next escalation stage: the ruling party Georgian Dream wants to severely restrict its biggest competitors in the country. The opposition complains of a pro-Russian course.
The government in Georgia increases the pressure on the opposition. Several parties are to be banned: they are a "threat to constitutional order".
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