Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili said on Nov. 30 that she would remain president until a legitimate parliament is elected, the media outlet Echo of the Caucasus reported.
Zourabichvili's statement comes amid protests sparked by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's decision to postpone Georgia's accession to the European Union until 2028.
Police reportedly used pepper spray and water cannons to disperse demonstrators in Tbilisi on Nov. 29, but protests have now spread to Batumi, Zugdidi, Kutaisi, Telavi, Gurjaani, and other Georgian cities.
An illegitimate parliament will not be able to elect a new head of state, Zourabichvili said. According to the president, the inauguration will not occur due to these circumstances, and her mandate will continue until the new parliament elects a new president.
"I want to tell the public that there is a national consensus here with the president, who is the only independent, legitimate institution," Zourabichvili said, adding that she will meet with "the society and political parties" on Dec. 1.
Martin Fornusek
"Together, we are leading the political process that you (Georgian citizens) are leading outside, in the streets, and various spheres of society. I will lead the political process while remaining your president."
Previously, the country's ruling party, Georgian Dream, announced that the presidential election would be held on Dec. 14 and the inauguration on Dec. 29. For the first time, the president of Georgia will not be elected by the population but by the Electoral Board, in which the Georgian Dream will have the majority.
Parliamentary Speaker Shalva Papuashvili claimed that Zourabichvili's six-year term as President expires on Dec. 16.
The Georgian Dream party, now led by Kobakhidze, has faced accusations of democratic backsliding and steering the country closer to the Kremlin. Earlier this year, the controversial "foreign agents" law prompted mass protests and violent police crackdowns.
The October parliamentary elections kicked off another round of protests amid accusations that Georgian Dream perpetrated widespread fraud and rigged the vote.
Following the vote, the European Commission suspended Georgia's EU accession process, highlighting the growing rift between Tbilisi and the West.
While pro-EU Georgians took to the streets in protest, Kobakhidze defended his decision to delay EU accession and said that a "Maidan situation" would not happen in Georgia.
"(U)nlike Ukraine in 2013, Georgia is an independent state with strong institutions and, most importantly, experienced and wise people whose power no one can shake. The Maiden scenario cannot be realized in Georgia," Kobakhidze said during a government press conference.
His remarks refer to Ukraine's 2013 EuroMaidan Revolution, a months-long popular uprising provoked by former President Viktor Yanukovych's refusal to sign a much-anticipated Association Agreement with the EU.
Mamuka Andguladze
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