Georgian President Refuses to Step Down after December 29

Salome Zourabichvili refused to give up her mandate after her term expired on December 29. Temps published her interview, Orda.kz reports.

Earlier, we reported that she would speak before the European Parliament.

She said she would not give up her mandate until new parliamentary elections were held and called on the European Union to support the opposition protests.

Zourabichvili says she no longer maintains contact with the ruling Georgian Dream party.

On December 14, Georgia held its presidential elections.

However, the Head of State was elected not by the country's citizens but by an electoral college consisting of 300 representatives: members of parliament, autonomous republics, and local advisory bodies.

Mikheil Kavelashvili, the sole candidate from the ruling Georgian Dream party, won the election. 

However, Zourabichvili slammed the process, saying that “nobody elected anyone” and calling the elections illegitimate. She also thanked those who refused to recognize the results.

The protests in Georgia that began in late November are still ongoing.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that negotiations on the country's membership in the European Union would be suspended until 2028. This statement brought people out onto the streets.

Supporters of opposition parties who took to the streets clashed with police officers.

Original Author: Rustam Muratov

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