Girchi opposition: if ruling party fulfills just 1 of 7 of our demands, we’ll enter parliament

Three leaders of the libertarian Girchi party will take up their mandates in the state legislature if the ruling Georgian Dream party ‘completely fulfils one of their recently released seven demands.

The demands are as follows: 

• All following parliamentary elections must be held according to the fully proportional electoral system with a natural threshold
• Private schools should be made free from state regulations
• The public should elect district chiefs of police
• The public should elect first instance judges and they should be able to make a choice between elected and appointed judges during their trials 
• The government should allow a multi-currency regime 
• Restitution should be made according to the laws agreed upon with the opposition
• Complete legalisation of marijuana 

Girchi overcame the one per cent election threshold in the October 31,2020 parliamentary elections and received four seats in the 150-member legislature. 

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However, like other opposition parties which were voted in during the elections, Girchi refuses to take up its mandates and is demanding repeat elections since November 2020, stating that ‘the elections were fabricated.’ 

One of the founders of Girchi Party Zurab Japaridze left the party in December 2020 and founded another party by the same name at the end of last year.

Japaridze is one of four Girchi MPs. He is the only, currently former member of the party who has requested the suspension of his status from parliament in protest. Photo: Girchi press office. 

Unlike the current members of Girchi, Japaridze has requested parliament to suspend his status. 

Girchi is well-known for its outlandish awareness raising demonstrations, which have included opening a brothel in its headquarters and planting marijuana seeds on New Year’s Eve.

The party was founded back in 2016 by four former members of the United National Movement opposition party - Zurab Japaridze, Pavle Kublashvili, Giorgi Khachidze and Giorgi Meladze. 

Currently only six of 60 opposition MPs are present in the 150-member parliament. 

The rest 54 opposition MPs have refused to enter the state legislature so far. 

The recently EU-mediated talks between the parties have also ended without the result.