Amid protests, political turmoil, Georgia’s outgoing pro-EU President refuses to step apart

Salome Zourabichvili’s time period as Georgia’s president formally ends on Sunday (December 29), however the pro-Western chief insists she won’t go away workplace, defying an inauguration deliberate for far-right politician Mikheil Kavelashvili.

On Saturday (December 28), Zourabichvili joined 1000’s of protesters forming human chains throughout the nation to reject Kavelashvili’s set up, a transfer she and the opposition declare is the results of a rigged election.

“This election and therefore the inauguration of the president will not be legitimate,” Zourabichvili mentioned Friday (December 27) on The Relaxation Is Politics podcast, POLITICO reported. “I stay president, and I proceed to do my job — that’s what all people has to know.”

The disaster sparked by contested election

Kavelashvili, a former footballer and candidate for the ruling Georgian Dream occasion, was the only real contender in a controversial presidential election carried out via an electoral school. Opposition events boycotted the vote, alleging the method was manipulated by Georgian Dream, which has been accused of more and more authoritarian tendencies.

The opposition and Zourabichvili have refused to acknowledge the election outcomes, which the European Parliament declared unfair in a decision calling for a rerun. Efforts to sanction Georgian Dream officers have been blocked by Hungary and Slovakia, deepening the disaster.

The protests started after the October 26 parliamentary election, by which Georgian Dream claimed a landslide victory, and escalated additional when the federal government suspended negotiations for European Union membership.

Threats and worldwide reactions

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze issued a stark warning to Zourabichvili, threatening authorized motion if she refuses to vacate the presidency. “Let’s see the place she finally ends up, behind bars or exterior,” Kobakhidze mentioned final week, POLITICO reported.

In the meantime, US officers have taken steps towards the ruling occasion. On Friday, the US sanctioned Bidzina Ivanishvili, the chairman of Georgian Dream, accusing him of undermining Georgia’s democratic and Euro-Atlantic aspirations in favor of Russian pursuits.

In a symbolic present of assist, US Congressman Joe Wilson invited Zourabichvili to attend the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, calling her “the one legit chief in Georgia.”

Deepening political disaster

Kavelashvili’s deliberate inauguration on Sunday threatens to deepen divisions within the South Caucasus nation, the place protests have unfold nationwide. Opposition leaders and demonstrators proceed to demand honest elections and Georgia’s alignment with Western establishments.

“It is a battle for Georgia’s democratic future and sovereignty,” mentioned one protester in Tbilisi. “We won’t enable our nation to fall beneath authoritarian management.”

With tensions at a boiling level, Georgia’s political and financial future hangs within the steadiness, as worldwide allies urge dialogue and a decision to the continued disaster.

With inputs from companies