Georgian Dream Signals Intent to Ban UNM Following Local Elections, Says Mdinaradze
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Georgian Dream party has declared its readiness to face off against what it calls "agents' parties" in this year's local elections, promising a decisive victory followed by legal steps aimed at banning the opposition party United National Movement (UNM). The announcement was made by Mamuka Mdinaradze, Executive Secretary of Georgian Dream.
Mdinaradze revealed that the parliamentary majority has agreed to extend the mandate of the Temporary Investigative Commission by one month, allowing additional time for investigation into alleged abuses and misconduct by the United National Movement and its alleged affiliated political forces, collectively referred to by the ruling party as the "collective National Movement."
"At today's session, we made a clear decision to extend the term of the Investigative Commission by one month," Mdinaradze stated. "This extension means that the collective National Movement will be able to participate in the upcoming local elections, and no one will have the opportunity to claim that we rushed to ban them before the vote."
The Investigative Commission, chaired by Tea Tsulukiani, was initially set up to examine alleged human rights abuses, misuse of power, and other crimes committed during the years 2003-2012 under the former UNM-led government. Recently, its scope has been expanded to include incidents and claims up to the present day, based on what Mdinaradze described as "hundreds of new submissions" received daily from citizens.
Mdinaradze emphasized that the ruling party's strategy is twofold: first, to secure a strong electoral victory in the local elections; and second, to prepare a comprehensive and fact-based constitutional lawsuit aimed at banning the UNM.
"After our victory in the self-government elections, we will be fully prepared to submit a solid, evidence-based constitutional claim. This will serve as the objective foundation for the Constitutional Court to consider and implement a ban on the collective National Movement," he stated.
Mdinaradze stressed that this process must be conducted transparently and by the book to avoid any domestic or international accusations of political manipulation.
Mdinaradze also made it clear that Georgian Dream would not tolerate accusations of using the commission's findings as a tool to undermine political competition ahead of elections.
"By extending the commission's term, we are demonstrating our commitment to due process and impartiality," he said. "We won't allow anyone, inside or outside the country, to say that we rushed the ban or manipulated the process for electoral gain."
