Georgian Dream Seeks Constitutional Ban on Major Opposition Parties
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, October 29, 2025
Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party has asked the Constitutional Court to outlaw three major opposition forces, escalating the country's political tensions ahead of next year's elections.
In an appeal announced on October 28, Georgian Dream Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said the ruling party is seeking to ban the United National Movement (UNM), Ahali-Coalition for Change, and Strong Georgia-Lelo. He also warned that other smaller opposition groups "closely related" to them, including Droa, Girchi - More Freedom, Strategy Aghmashenebeli, European Georgia, Federalists, and Republicans, could face similar legal scrutiny.
Papuashvili stated that the appeal would not extend to individuals associated with the targeted parties, despite recent legislative changes allowing such measures. He added that the opposition For Georgia party, led by former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, would not be affected. Members of that party recently ended a yearlong parliamentary boycott and took their seats in the legislature.
"Along with other violations, the evidence shows that respective political parties have, in a practically constant manner, denied both the domestic political and foreign policy legitimacy of the current Georgian government and ruling political party, and thus its constitutionality," Papuashvili said. "In doing so, these parties acknowledge that between themselves and the ruling party, one of the parties must be declared unconstitutional."
The appeal, based on findings by a parliamentary investigative commission chaired by Tea Tsulukiani, argues that the opposition parties have repeatedly attempted to undermine Georgia's constitutional order. Georgian Dream invoked Article 23 of the Constitution, which prohibits parties that seek to overthrow the government, violate the country's territorial integrity, or incite violence or social strife.
According to Papuashvili, the evidence includes alleged human rights abuses under the UNM government, the opposition's boycotts of past elections, and actions that "supported a foreign force" in efforts to "undermine Georgian independence."
He also cited events surrounding the August 2008 war, accusing the former UNM government of "preparing the ground for the occupation forces to invade the Tskhinvali region." He referenced the 2004 clashes in the Tskhinvali Region, then-President Mikheil Saakashvili's 2006 decree renaming Kodori Gorge as "Upper Abkhazia," and what he called "alternative unconstitutional elections" held that year in Tskhinvali.
Papuashvili argued that these events "culminated in the August 2008 war," claiming Georgia's then-government later backed a PACE resolution that "acknowledged its own actions in escalating to a new stage of open and full-scale military operations."
The speaker further accused current opposition parties of continuing "unconstitutional" behavior since 2012, including alleged attempts to "escalate the conflict between Georgia and Russia" after Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. "Unconstitutional political parties to this day are trying to escalate the situation between Georgia and Russia in the same form and degree as the National Movement was doing this before the 2008 war," he said.
He also alleged that the targeted parties have acted "on behalf of foreign forces" to harm Georgia's sovereignty by promoting sanctions and "systematic informational attacks" against the government, as well as by trying to disrupt the country's visa-free travel regime and EU accession process.
The Constitutional Court now has nine months to review the appeal. The case comes amid internal changes at the Court, including the recent resignation of Judge Irine Imerlishvili, who cited a private-sector job offer, and the appointment of Giorgi Modebadze by President Mikheil Kavelashvili.
Papuashvili said the ruling party is not seeking to restrict the political rights of individuals. "Today, the legislation defines the institution of a successor party, which provides broader opportunities to prevent future unconstitutional political activities by members of banned parties," he said.
If upheld, the appeal would mark an unprecedented move in post-Soviet Georgia and could reshape the country's political landscape by sidelining its largest opposition forces.
