Georgian Dream to Expand Opposition Ban, Adding Federalists to Legal Challenge
By Messenger Staff
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
The ruling Georgian Dream party has announced plans to withdraw its current appeal from the Constitutional Court to submit a "corrected" version that adds the Federalist party to the list of opposition forces it seeks to ban.
The announcement, made by Georgian Dream Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili during a briefing on April 20, marks an expansion of a legal effort that began in November 2025. The original appeal targeted three major opposition groups: the United National Movement (UNM), Ahali (Coalition for Change), and Lelo (Strong Georgia).
Papuashvili cited the March 2 formation of the "Opposition Alliance" as the primary reason for the revision. The alliance consists of nine parties, including the Federalists, that signed a coordination document to work against the ruling party amid a prolonged political crisis and ongoing anti-government protests.
The Speaker argued that the parties within the alliance share goals that "undermine elections" and fail to recognize constitutional institutions. "We said that this would be grounds for us to revise our constitutional appeal, given that we now have a unified grouping under this declaration," Papuashvili stated.
While other smaller parties are part of the alliance, Georgian Dream officials indicated they are prioritizing the inclusion of the Federalists based on their "influence on politics" and the history of their leadership. Papuashvili specifically named jailed former president Mikheil Saakashvili, Giga Bokeria, and Nika Gvaramia as the figures leading this "united UNM alliance."
The Federalists party, which was officially registered in March 2025 after splitting from European Georgia, characterized the move as a procedural tactic to buy time.
Tamar Chergoleishvili, a leader of the Federalists, argued that the ruling party is withdrawing the appeal because the original nine-month deadline for the Constitutional Court to review the case is nearly up. "They do not have the capacity to ban those three parties, so they need a new timeframe," Chergoleishvili said. "That is why they withdrew the nine-month one and submitted a new one so that a new deadline can start running."
Chergoleishvili added that the decision "does not change anything" about the party's stance, asserting that as long as any party is banned, the Federalists will refuse to formally participate in politics and will not become "regime decoration."
