President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili has called on her supporters to gather near her residence in the capital, Tbilisi, ahead of the inauguration of newly elected President Mikheil Kavelashvili.
As reported by Ukrinform, NewsGeorgia provided the following details.
“Greetings from Orbeliani Palace. I am here, I will stay here, I will spend the night here as well. Tomorrow at 10:00, I expect you near Orbeliani Palace, and from there I will announce what tomorrow’s day will be like. I will explain what the following days will hold and what the days of victory will look like,” Zourabichvili stated in her address.
On Saturday evening, after Zourabichvili administration released a 34-second address, hundreds of people stood in solidarity with the President on Atanieli Street. They had come to her residence from a protest action on Rustaveli Avenue.
It is noted that Mikheil Kavelashvili, elected as the sixth President of the country by deputies of the ruling Georgian Dream party, is scheduled to take the oath on December 29 at 11:00 in the parliament building.
Zourabichvili refuses to resign. She declares that she will remain the sole legitimate representative of the government in the country until new parliamentary elections are held.
Opposition parties fully support her demands. Over the past week, they have been conducting consultations.
The opposition has expressed readiness to “physically” protect the President in Orbeliani Palace.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has warned that the President will be held criminally liable if she decides to call for new parliamentary elections for any reason not foreseen by law.
He also stated that if Zourabichvili refuses to leave the residence after Kavelashvili’s inauguration, she will be forcibly removed and taken to a correctional facility.
As reported by Ukrinform, on November 28, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that Georgia is refusing to engage in negotiations regarding EU membership and is declining financial assistance from the European Union until 2028.
This stance by the government has sparked public outrage, leading to mass protests in Tbilisi and other cities across the country. Police special forces have been dispersing demonstration participants using water cannons and tear gas, resulting in the detention and beating of dozens of people, including activists and media representatives.
The United States has imposed sanctions on 20 Georgian officials, including ministers and deputies, for undermining democracy. Several European countries, notably Ukraine, have also implemented restrictive measures against a number of Georgian politicians.
Source: Georgian President calls on supporters to gather at residence ahead of successor's inauguration
