Republican Party of Georgia

Georgian political party

This article is about the political party in the country of Georgia. For the political party in the U.S. state, see Georgia Republican Party.

This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (October 2012)

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Republican Party of Georgia

საქართველოს რესპუბლიკური პარტია

Founded| May 21, 1978
Headquarters| Tbilisi
Youth wing| Young Republicans[1]
Ideology|

* Liberalism[2][3][4]
* Pro-Europeanism[3][4]

Political position| Centre-right[2][4]
National affiliation| United National Council
(2007–2008)
Georgian Dream
(2012–2016)
Strength Is in Unity
(2020–2021)
Coalition for Change (since 2024)
European affiliation| Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party (affiliate)[5]
International affiliation| Liberal International[3]
Colors|   Orange and   Blue
Seats in Parliament|

0 / 150

Party flag
Website
http://www.republicans.ge/

* Politics of Georgia
* Political parties
* Elections

The Republican Party of Georgia (Georgian: საქართველოს რესპუბლიკური პარტია, romanized: sakartvelos resp'ublik'uri p'art'ia), commonly known as the Republicans (რესპუბლიკელები, resp'ublik'elebi), is a political party in Georgia active since 1978. Until March 2016, the party was a part of the Georgian Dream coalition that won the 2012 election, defeating the United National Movement. Currently it is in opposition to Georgian Dream as part of the Coalition for Change coalition.

The party was not represented in the Parliament of Georgia elected in the Georgian legislative elections of 2008, and only maintained its representation in Tbilisi City Assembly and Adjara's Supreme Council. The party's declared platform includes the reforms of local self-governance, economy and a free and independent judiciary system. It supports Georgia's pro-Western line and bids to join the NATO and European Union.[6]

## History

[edit]

The Republican Party of Georgia emerged as an underground political organization in then-Soviet Georgia on May 21, 1978, and campaigned for an independent Georgia, human rights and free market economy. However, the party's leading members were arrested by the Soviet State Security Committee (KGB) between 1983 and 1984 and imprisoned on charges of "anti-Soviet campaign and propaganda." In Georgia's first multi-party elections on October 28, 1990, the Republicans won three seats in the Supreme Council of Georgia and joined the Democratic Center faction which was in opposition to the Round Table-Free Georgia majority and its leader Zviad Gamsakhurdia. In June 1991, the party garnered 20% of votes in Georgia's southwestern autonomous republic of Adjara where they turned into a major opposition to Aslan Abashidze's increasingly authoritarian regime. After Gamsakhurdia's fall in a coup in January 1992, the Republicans were represented in a provisional State Council of Georgia, and formed a 10-member opposition faction in the Parliament of Georgia elected on October 11, 1992, but failed to obtain any seat in the next two parliamentary elections on 1995 and 1999, respectively. Yet, many members of the party remained energetically engaged in civil society and criticized Eduard Shevardnadze's increasingly unpopular government.[7]

In 2002, the party forged an alliance with Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement (UNM) and shared its success in the 2002 local and 2003 parliamentary elections. The party was instrumental in the 2003 Rose Revolution which overthrew Shevardnadze's pro-Russian regime, and played a prominent role in Aslan Abashidze's removal during the 2004 Adjara crisis. The Republicans ran independently in the Adjarian legislative election in June 2004, but managed to secure only three seats in Adjara's 30-member Supreme Council. The party accused the UNM of having rigged the election and the dispute resulted in the final split between the former allies.[8] In 2005, the Republican members of Georgia's parliament united with the Conservative Party of Georgia and a few non-partisan MPs into the opposition Democratic Front faction led by Davit Berdzenishvili, the party's veteran member.[7]

The Republicans were in moderate opposition to Saakashvili's administration until 2012. They joined other opposition parties in the 2007 anti-government demonstrations and supported the joint opposition candidate, Levan Gachechiladze, in the early 2008 presidential election.[7]

After the political setback suffered in the 2008 parliamentary elections, the Republican Party of Georgia forged an alliance with the New Rights Party on December 8, 2008.[9] Both parties united in "The Alliance for Georgia" led by Irakli Alasania, Georgia's ex-envoy to the United Nations in February 2009.[10]

On July 8, 2009, the 13th National Congress of the Republican Party of Georgia was held. The congress adopted a new version of the party statutes. In addition, 35 members of the National Committee and five members of the Inspection Commission were elected on a competitive basis. David Usupashvili was elected as the chairman of the party at the congress.

In 2012, it joined the Georgian Dream coalition that won the election against the incumbent government of the United National Movement. The then-party chairman Davit Usupashvili became the Speaker of the Parliament, whilst another representative of the Republican party, Paata Zakareishvili, was appointed as the Minister of Reintegration in the new Georgian government.

In March 2016, the party left the coalition and announced that they were preparing for the 2016 parliamentary elections separately.[11][12] In the following election, the Republican Party failed to pass the five percent threshold and became extra-parliamentary. In the 2020 parliamentary elections, the party joined the UNM-led electoral coalition Strength Is in Unity and won two seats in Parliament.

## Electoral performance

[edit]

### Parliamentary election

[edit]

Election  | Leader  | Votes  | %  | Seats  | +/–  | Position  | Government  | Coalition

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1990 | Vakhtang Dzabiradze  | 40,769  | 1.76  |

3 / 250

| New | 7th  | Opposition  | Democratic Georgia
1992 | Vakhtang Dzabiradze  | 277,496  | 12.06  |

7 / 235

|  4  | 2nd  | Opposition  | 11 October Bloc
1995 | Vakhtang Dzabiradze  | 35,051  | 1.75  |

1 / 235

|  6  | 17th  | Opposition  | Independent
1999 | Ivliane Khaindrava  | 95,039  | 4.74  |

0 / 235

|  1  | 5th  | Extra-parliamentary | National Democratic Alliance
2004 | Davit Berdzenishvili  | 992,275  | 67.75  |

5 / 150

|  5  | 1st  | Government  | National Movement−Democrats
2008 | Davit Usupashvili | 67,037  | 3.78  |

2 / 150

|  3  | 5th  | Opposition  | Independent
2012 | Davit Usupashvili | 1,181,862  | 54.97  |

9 / 150

|  7  | 1st  | Government  | Georgian Dream
2016 | Davit Usupashvili | 27,264  | 1.55  |

0 / 150

|  9  | 8th  | Extra-parliamentary | Independent
2020 | Khatuna Samnidze | 523,127  | 27.18  |

2 / 150

|  2  | 2nd  | Opposition  | Strength Is in Unity
2024 | Khatuna Samnidze | 229,161  | 11.03  |

1 / 150

|  1  | 2nd  | Opposition  | Coalition for Change

### Local election

[edit]

Election  | Votes  | %  | Seats  | +/–

|
|
|
|

2017 | 11,121  | 0.74  |

0 / 2,043

| New

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Young Republicans Archived 2014-01-02 at the Wayback Machine
2. ^ a b Nodia, Ghia; Pinto Scholtbach, Álvaro (2006), The Political Landscape of Georgia: Political Parties: Achievements, Challenges and Prospects, Eburon, p. 123
3. ^ a b c "Parties, Parliaments and Polling Averages: Georgia". Europe Elects.
4. ^ a b c Dr. Maia Urushadze; Dr. Tamar Kiknadze (2–4 July 2021). "The Relevance of the Actual Values of the Political Actors of Georgia with the Ideologies Declared by Them". Diamond Scientific Publishing.
5. ^ "ALDE Member Parties". aldeparty.eu.
6. ^ (in Georgian) The Democratic Front faction: political platform (archived). Parliament of Georgia. Accessed on May 3, 2008.
7. ^ a b c Brief history of the Republican Party of Georgia Archived 2009-03-06 at the Wayback Machine. May 21, 2006. The Republican Party of Georgia website. Accessed on May 3, 2008.
8. ^ ‘Think-Tank’ Republicans to Quit Ruling Coalition. Civil Georgia. June 23, 2004.
9. ^ New Opposition Alliance Set Up. Civil Georgia. 2008-12-08
10. ^ Alasania Leads New Alliance with New Rights, Republicans. Civil Georgia. February 23, 2009.
11. ^ GD Coalition Members Part Ways for Upcoming Elections. Civil Georgia. March 31, 2016.
12. ^ Georgia – Ruling Coalition Dissolved. Presidential Power. April 14, 2016.

## External links

[edit]

* Republican Party of Georgia official website

* v
* t
* e

Political parties in Georgia

Parliamentary majority|

* Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia
* People's Power

Parliamentary opposition|

* Coalition for Change
* Ahali
* Girchi – More Freedom
* Droa
* Republican Party
* Unity – National Movement
* United National Movement
* European Georgia
* Strategy Aghmashenebeli
* Progress and Freedom
* Strong Georgia
* Lelo
* Citizens
* For Georgia
* For the People
* Freedom Square
* Conservative Party

Extra-parliamentary parties|

| Parties with local representation|

* Alliance of Patriots of Georgia
* Georgian Labour Party
* Free Georgia
* Girchi
* European Socialists

|

Unrepresented|

* Christian-Democratic Movement
* Communist Party of Georgia
* Chven
* Democratic Movement – United Georgia
* Victorious Georgia
* European Democrats
* Eri
* Federalists
* Free Democrats
* Law and Justice
* Georgian March
* Georgian Troupe
* Greens Party of Georgia
* Ilia Chavchavadze Society
* Industry Will Save Georgia
* National Forum
* New Communist Party of Georgia
* National Democratic Party
* People's Party
* Social Democrats for the Development of Georgia
* Solidarity Alliance of Georgia
* Freedom
* Union of Georgian Traditionalists
* Unified Communist Party of Georgia
* For Justice

Defunct|

* Round Table—Free Georgia
* National Independence Party of Georgia
* Union of Citizens of Georgia
* Democratic Union for Revival
* People's Front
* Movement for United Georgia
* Unity
* Intellectuals League of Georgia
* New Rights Party
* Rightist Opposition
* Development Movement
* The Way of Georgia
* Burjanadze-Democrats
* Democratic Party
* Peace
* Merab Kostava Society
* 11 October Bloc
* Unity Bloc
* Charta 91
* Socialist Party of Georgia
* United National Council
* Alliance for Georgia
* Georgian Party
* Strength Is in Unity
* State for the People
* Revived Communist Party of Georgia
* Georgian Workers Communist Party

Historical|

* Social Democratic Party of Georgia
* Georgian Socialist-Federalist Revolutionary Party
* Mesame Dasi
* National Democrats of Georgia

Banned|

* Communist Party of Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
* Centrist Party
* Conservative Movement
* Georgian Idea

* Portal:Politics
* List of political parties
* Politics of Georgia
* List of political parties in Abkhazia
* List of political parties in South Ossetia

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