Georgian president refuses to step down, rallies national resistance to Russian influence
The fight in Georgia is about to get serious as President Zourabichvili steps up as its leader
In a stunning development, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has declared she will remain in office beyond her term, announcing a broad national consensus against Russian influence and vowing to protect Georgia’s European path.
“I am so proud of you! I am proud of Georgia! A national consensus has been reached on the most critical matter: no one can take away Georgia’s independence, no one can return Georgia to Russia, and no one can deprive Georgia of its will and its European future,” Zourabichvili said, pointing to growing resistance within the diplomatic corps and businesses.
Her announcement comes amid a growing government crackdown on protests which erupted on 28 November after the pro-Russian ruling Georgian Dream announced a halt on Georgia’s EU integration process. The announcement, seen as a breaking point in Georgia’s pivot towards Russia, came just a month after the disputed October 26 elections, where the pro-Russian Georgian Dream party claimed 54% of the vote amid widespread fraud allegations.
Zourabichvili, who has been an independent voice resisting Georgian Dream’s pro-Russian policies, would be replaced by a president chosen by parliament under constitutional changes introduced by the party in 2017. Opposition activists warned this would ensure “a full puppet candidate” loyal to Georgian Dream’s founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, who has overseen Georgia’s growing alignment with Moscow.
Zourabichvili, describing her office as “the only independent institution and the sole legitimate institution left,” announced she would gather opposition parties and public representatives to “jointly manage the political aspect” of the growing, yet fragmented, resistance movement.
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