Georgia’s Ruling Party to Seek Ban of Three Opposition Groups
TBILISI, GEORGIA – Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party announced plans to petition the courts to ban three of the country’s main opposition groups, escalating a crackdown on dissent and further straining relations with the West. The move comes amid increasing arrests of protesters and a broader effort to curtail the influence of parties perceived as pro-Western and aligned with exiled former president Mikheil saakashvili.
The targeted parties have been accused by Georgian Dream of collaborating with Saakashvili, who is currently imprisoned and serving a sentence for abuse of power stemming from his 2003-2012 presidency. The party bases its legal challenge on the findings of a parliamentary commission investigating alleged illegal activities during Saakashvili’s time in office, which opposition groups dismiss as propaganda.A law passed earlier this year simplifies the process for banning political parties in Georgia.
Georgian Dream has increasingly distanced itself from the European Union, suspending negotiations on Georgia’s accession to the bloc and alleging a planned revolution in Tbilisi orchestrated by Brussels – claims the EU has denied.The party maintains its desire for EU membership, but insists it must be achieved while preserving peace with Russia and Georgia’s ”customary orthodox values.”
Several prominent opposition figures are already in jail, and police have increased the number of arrests during ongoing anti-government protests that have lasted for over a year. Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire and former prime minister widely considered the country’s de facto ruler, has repeatedly vowed to ban opposition parties linked to Saakashvili.
Saakashvili remains a controversial figure in georgia, with many blaming him for the 2008 war with Russia and criticizing his leadership style as erratic and authoritarian. He is expected to remain in prison until 2034.
