Anna Dolidze Inaugurates New Political Party

Anna Dolidze, a former non-judge member of the High Council of Justice (HCoJ), held a congress at Arto Park in Tbilisi on May 22, inaugurating a new political party For People.

At the congress, Anna Dolidze stated that social justice will be a cornerstone of the new political party. “We choose a way of governance where social equality is the main driving idea of the state,” said Dolidze, adding that the party wants to create a country “without hunger as a primary challenge.”

Anna Dolidze also said that the party unites competent people, who share the same values, and who fight for justice and Georgia’s better future. “Having faith in solidarity, we believe that we can build a welfare state,” she added.

Previously Dolidze ran as an independent candidate for Tbilisi’s Didube-Chughureti majoritarian district in October 2020 parliamentary elections. She received 17.95% of votes in the first round, coming in third after Georgian Dream’s Gia Volski with 42.64% and joint opposition candidate Zurab Japaridze of Girchi party with 21.06%.

Biography

Doctor of Juridical Science from Cornell Law School, Anna Dolidze founded Movement for People, a political outfit, on May 21, 2020, saying she was striving to shake up the political field in the country “with clean hands.”

After having announced plans to launch a political movement, she was forced to resign from her position as a non-judge member of the HCoJ, where she was appointed by President Giorgi Margvelashvili in 2018.

Her decision came after a group of seven civil society organizations, as well as President Salome Zurabishvili, urged Dolidze to quit the HCoJ over the conflict of interest. The CSOs stated that her position at the HCoJ was “incompatible” with political activity.

In February 2016, President Margvelashvili named Anna Dolidze as a candidate for a vacant Supreme Court seat, but the Parliament voted down her candidacy and she was appointed as the President’s Parliamentary Secretary. In 2016, Dolidze also participated in the competition for vacant ECHR judge position, but she was not shortlisted among the three candidates.

Previously, Dolidze served as a Deputy Minister of Defense in 2015-2016. She also chaired Tbilisi-based legal advocacy group Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) in 2004-2006.

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