Salome Zurabishvili wants to remain Georgia's president “until a legally elected government is formed.”Image: trapezoid
The domestic political conflict in the Republic of Georgia in the South Caucasus continues to intensify. President Salome Zurabishvili, who is allied with anti-Russian and pro-European demonstrators, announced in a video address from Tbilisi that evening that she would hand over responsibilities only if a legally elected government was established in the country. “I am still your president,” she stressed. Interpress news agency quoted her as saying: “The illegal parliament cannot elect a new president, so there will be no inauguration and my term will be extended until the parliament is legally elected.”
A debate has recently erupted in Georgia over the legality of parliamentary sessions since new elections. The parliamentary election at the end of October was clouded by accusations of fraud. Only representatives of the former pro-Russian ruling party Georgian Dream met in parliament; the opposition did not enter the parliament building. Several Georgian lawyers said people's representatives may not meet until the Constitutional Court rules on Zurabishvili's election complaint.
Zurabishvili also called Monday's first meeting unconstitutional. As president, she must convene her first parliamentary session; no one can do so on her behalf. Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said Zurabishvili's term will end on December 16.
December presidential election?
According to a draft resolution passed by parliament this week, the presidential election will be held on December 14 and the presidential inauguration will be held on December 29. For the first time, the president will no longer be directly elected by the people, but indirectly by members of parliament and regional representatives.
Zurabishvili and the pro-Western opposition do not recognize the official results of the October 26 parliamentary election. The electoral commission declared the ruling Georgian Dream party the winner with about 54% of the vote. After the election, the opposition announced that it would not accept their mandate. Since the election, people have been protesting against the results almost every day, especially in Tbilisi.
President: 'The country is in turmoil'
In a brief interview with BBC Sky News on Sunday, Zurabishvili stressed that people were protesting against a “stolen Soviet-style election”. “The country is in turmoil,” she said. The demonstrations of tens of thousands across the country are “certainly not a revolution” but peaceful protests.
Recent demonstrations have also hit most of the country's cities, resulting in more than 100 people being arrested in clashes with police. Journalists among demonstrators during a rally in Tbilisi were allowed for the first time to comment on events in the country during a live broadcast on Saturday, opposition blogs reported.
The interior ministry warned demonstrators of possible further violence and called on them to obey the law. “The police will take appropriate legal responses to every violation.” (Sudanese Development Authority/Department of Political Affairs/Lynn)
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