“Georgia needs strong political parties. Only strong parties can bring about change. Anyone who tells you that now is not the time for political fragmentation is a delusional fool who has no idea what is happening in Georgian society, what a leadership crisis means, or even what a political party is,” Tamar Chergoleishvili, one of the leaders of the Federalists party, said in response to the scheduling of hearings on the constitutional claim seeking to ban opposition parties.

According to her, the strength of political parties does not depend on restrictions imposed by the regime.

“The strength of political parties depends on popular support, so I’m very sorry that all I can express is joy at the regime’s desperate flailing - I see it as a demonstration of the regime’s weakness.

“The regime’s decision to ban our party is of absolutely no consequence to the Federalists,” Tamar Chergoleishvili wrote.

The Federalists leader explained that a process in which such a scenario is not only a real possibility but can even be contemplated cannot be considered a political process in which citizens’ votes carry weight.

“Considering that four of the parties facing a potential ban - all except the Federalists - participated in the 2024 elections and received more than 800,000 votes according to the regime’s own accounting, it becomes even clearer that the regime is nullifying the choices of those same 800,000 people, as counted by the regime itself, and stripping them of their votes.

“The Federalists had no intention of legitimizing this lawlessness or presenting it as a political process, even before our party was added to the list of parties facing a ban.

“Our path lies in strengthening our party through popular support, engaging in peaceful but principled and consistent resistance, and better organizing and expanding that resistance until citizens’ votes carry enough weight to bring down the regime.

“This will inevitably happen when the political agenda is shaped by a political force focused on the vital interests of society.

“Absolutely nothing - not a single thing - depends on what Bidzina Ivanishvili decides as far as the Federalists are concerned. Whatever he decides, we will use it to dismantle the autocracy on every front,” Tamar Chergoleishvili wrote.