Co-founder of new political platform Anna Dolidze quits High Council of Justice ‘over dirty PR stunt’

Anna Dolidze previously served as the head of Georgia’s Young Lawyers’ Association and deputy defence minister.

Agenda.ge, 22 Jun 2020 - 13:11, Tbilisi,Georgia

Founder of civic movement For the People Anna Dolidze has resigned as a non-judge member of the High Council of Justice, an independent body which is responsible for various legal issues, including the appointment of judges. 

Dolidze, who stated that her political moves did not contradict her current job in the council, announced her resignation earlier today, stating that a “dirty, orchestrated PR campaign had been launched against her.’ 

Dolidze said that her major allies are the Georgian people and ‘with my new co-fighters we will ensure a fair justice system in the country.’ 

She said that now she will be ‘fully engaged in building' the movement For the People. 

Dolidze was appointed to the council by ex-President Giorgi Margvelashvili back in 2018. 

Now President Salome Zurabishvili must approve her resignation. 

Aleko Elisashvili (L), Anna Dolidze and Levan Koberidze have created a new political platform.

At the end of May, Dolidze founded the civic movement For the People.

Last week Dolidze, opposition leader Aleko Elisashvili and independent MP Levan Koberidze created a new political platform with plans to transform it into a political party. 

Before announcing the new political platform, seven NGOs, including Transparency International Georgia and the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, urged Dolidze to leave her post if she had plans to enter politics. 

The same appeal was made by another non-judge member of the High Council of Justice Nazi Janezashvili who has frequently appeared with Dolidze, stating that a non-judge member of the High Council of Justice is banned from political activities. 

In response Dolidze accused ex-ally Janezashvili of discrediting her image and cooperating with judge members of the High Council of Justice they had both called biased.