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5 days ago
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Georgia’s pro-western president, Salome Zourabichvili, has said she will leave the palace but remain the country’s legitimate officeholder, after refusing to hand over the keys to her successor in the wake of a controversial general election.
Zourabichvili spoke as thousands of protesters gathered in the capital, Tblisi, to demonstrate against the inauguration of Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former football player turned far-right politician backed by the ruling pro-Moscow and increasingly authoritarian Georgian Dream (GD) party, who was sworn in as president at a parliamentary ceremony.
The inauguration of Kavelashvili – which for the first time in Georgia’s history was held behind closed doors in the plenary chamber inside parliament – is likely to further escalate a months-long political crisis during which there have been large pro-European Union demonstrations.
At least 2,000 pro-EU protesters had gathered outside parliament before the disputed presidential inauguration.
Addressing the protesters moments before the inauguration, Zourabichvili, who has become a rallying figure for those opposed to GD, declared: “I remain the only legitimate president. I will leave the presidential palace and stand with you, carrying with me the legitimacy, the flag and your trust.”
After taking the presidential oath in parliament, Kavelashvili said: “Our history clearly shows that, after countless struggles to defend our homeland and traditions, peace has always been one of the main goals and values for the Georgian people.”
The GD party has presented itself as the sole guarantor of stability in the country, accusing the west of trying to drag Tbilisi into the Ukraine conflict.
Kavelashvili, known for his far-right views and derogatory comments against LGBTQ+ people, went on to praise “our traditions, values, national identity, the sanctity of the family, and faith”.
The standoff between Zourabichvili and GD had plunged the country into a political crisis following the contested election in October that GD had won but many Georgians believe was rigged with Russia’s help.
Zourabichvili and protesters have declared Kavelashvili “illegitimate”, demanding a rerun of the October general elections.
As Zourabichvili vacated the 19th-century Orbeliani presidential palace and addressed protesters nearby, as a symbolic gesture she wore the same white-and-black attire – the colours of the Georgian flag – that she wore during her inauguration six years ago.
She reiterated that rerunning the “illegitimate” election would be the “formula to resolve such a crisis”.
Following her address outside the presidential palace, thousands of protesters moved toward parliament, with some holding up red cards in a clear nod to Kavelashvili’s football career. They dispersed shortly afterward, vowing to stage another protest later in the evening.
Giorgi Mamatelashvili, a 34-year-old protester, told Agence France-Presse he initially expected Zourabichvili to remain in the palace, but it would have led to a too “dramatic standoff”.
But “she still remains our president”, he said.
Zourabichvili, whose role as president is ceremonial but has made her a symbolic leader of the opposition, has emerged as the most popular politician and a last hope for protesters who accuse Georgian Dream of steering Tbilisi away from the west and toward Moscow.
“We trust her, we follow her, and for now, she’s our guide,” 42-year-old Shorena Aleksaia, who attended the demonstration, told AFP. “I’m sure she wants only the best for Georgia, and we have faith in her.”
Georgia has been in political turmoil since October’s disputed parliamentary elections and the government’s decision to shelve EU membership talks.
Thousands of Georgians have taken to the streets daily for a month, accusing the increasingly repressive government of derailing Tbilisi’s EU ambitions.
Many protesters said they intended to keep demonstrating as tension escalated in the small nation nestled in the Caucasus mountains that has a turbulent history of swinging between democratic aspirations and periods of harsh repression.
“We will keep fighting. We will keep protesting,” said David, a 22-year-old programmer who stood outside the presidential palace earlier Sunday. “It’s too late for backing down.”
Opposition parties have refused to enter parliament since the October elections, and Zourabichvili has declared the newly elected legislature, the government and president-elect “illegitimate”.
Weighing in on the crisis, US Republican congressman Joe Wilson has said that Zourabichvili is invited to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration next month “as the only legitimate leader in Georgia”.
He announced a bill “which will prohibit US recognition of the illegal dictatorial regime in Georgia and recognise Zourabichvili as the only legitimate leader in Georgia”.
But the prime minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, of the GD party, has ruled out calling fresh elections. He had had said that Zourabichvili would face legal consequences if she chose to stay in office.
In the first 10 days of protests after the contested vote, riot police used teargas and water cannon to disperse demonstrators, some of whom threw fireworks and stones.
More than 400 people have been arrested during the protests, many saying they have been beaten.
The reported police brutality has drawn international condemnation, with Washington and several European countries imposing visa bans on GD officials.
Agence France-Presse contributed to this report
