OMM Newsroom
Georgia’s Constitutional Court has extended hearings until October 30 in a case seeking to ban five opposition parties. AnewZ reports that the court in Batumi, which had initially been expected to conclude proceedings on October 23, will resume hearings on October 26.
Court rejects opposition motions
On the third day of hearings, the court rejected two motions from the For Georgia party: a request to postpone the proceedings for a month and a motion to remove Judge Sergo Metopishvili over alleged bias.
The party’s representative, Berdia Sichinava, said the defense had not been given enough time to prepare and questioned the judge’s impartiality. The court denied the request for additional time, saying a delay was unnecessary and could prolong the proceedings.
Sichinava also asked the court to summon senior Georgian Dream figures, including party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, to testify about the Chorchana issue. The dispute stems from incidents involving a Georgian police post near the border with South Ossetia.
The court is expected to decide whether to summon the witnesses when hearings resume on October 26. Hearings are scheduled to take place daily through October 30.
Five opposition parties could be banned
The lawsuit, filed by 88 lawmakers from the ruling Georgian Dream party, seeks to have five opposition parties declared unconstitutional and banned.
The parties named in the case are the United National Movement, Coalition for Change, Strong Georgia – Lelo, the Federalists Party and For Georgia.
Georgian Dream accuses the parties of acting against Georgia’s constitutional order, including attempting to change it by force and undermine the country’s territorial integrity.
The opposition rejects the accusations, calls the lawsuit politically motivated and challenges the legal basis for combining the five parties in a single case.
Opposition representatives have also criticized the court for not allowing them to submit additional evidence and foreign legal expert opinions.
The proceedings have prompted international concern. The European Commission has warned that the proposed bans could threaten fundamental freedoms, political pluralism and fair political competition.
The Commission says it is closely monitoring the case. A vice-president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe has called on the Georgian authorities to withdraw the lawsuit.
The court has not yet issued a ruling. The outcome could affect Georgia’s opposition and the country’s relations with its Western partners.
