The ruling Georgian Dream party has revoked the mandates of 49 opposition parliamentarians after they refused to take their seats over concerns about the legitimacy of the October parliamentary election results. The move reduces the total number of parliamentarians to 89 out of 150, with all now sitting under the Georgian Dream banner.
Opposition MPs from the “For Georgia” party have also refused to attend parliamentary sessions, further reducing the opposition’s presence in the legislative body. The disputed election was re-elected the Georgian Dream party and has drawn criticism for steering Georgia closer to Russia while hindering its EU accession.
Mass protests erupted in Tbilisi over the election results as well as amid a political crisis sparked by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s announcement that Georgia’s EU integration could be delayed until 2028. Anti-Western politician Mikheil Kavelashvili, an ally of the ruling Georgian Dream party, was inaugurated as president on December 29 in a move seen as illegitimate by the opposition.
Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zourabichvili, has vowed to continue the struggle against the ruling party despite vacating the presidential palace. Western countries have imposed sanctions on Georgia over perceived democratic backsliding, with the European Union suspending parts of its visa facilitation agreement on January 27.
Source: https://kyivindependent.com/georgian-dream-votes-to-terminate-mandates-of-49-opposition-mps