Georgia’s ruling party official calls for “state-oriented, objective” court ruling on opposition party ban

Levan Machavariani, the First Deputy Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream parliamentary faction, on Wednesday commented on the ongoing proceedings at the Constitutional Court, saying that the United National Movement had begun the proceedings by confirming the claims made in the lawsuit.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Machavariani criticised statements by Ana Tsitlidze, a member of the opposition United National Movement party, arguing that she had discussed issues unrelated to the substance of the lawsuit.

“She confirms everything we are seeking to have upheld through this lawsuit. We want the lawsuit to be upheld in its entirety, but we must wait for the court’s decision”, the official noted.

He further criticised statements by other political figures, including Khatia Dekanoidze, accusing them of making political arguments unrelated to the case.

Machavariani welcomed the live broadcast of the proceedings, citing strong public interest in the case, and made further allegations against opposition parties over their conduct while in government.

“We believe this lawsuit is very strong in terms of evidence and facts. We expect the decision to be both state-oriented and objective”, he concluded.

The Constitutional Court is currently hearing the case concerning a lawsuit seeking to ban five political parties and associations.