President of Georgia responds to her arrest threat from Prime Minister
Georgian President Salome Zourabishvili (photo: Getty Images)
Today, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze threatened the country's president with prison if she did not leave office. For her part, Salome Zourabishvili responded to his threats, report Sova News and The Echo of Caucases.
“We are not afraid,” Zourabishvili said.
She was speaking to protesters in Tbilisi, whom she supports and who are demanding re-elections in the country. She added that she remains loyal to the country and the Constitution, to which she took an oath 6 years ago.
“I will be loyal to the Georgian army and the veterans who came here today. I am and will be its supreme commander-in-chief. I am and will be faithful to these people who are standing here, but not only to these people. I am and will be the president for everyone,” the head of state said.
Zourabishvili again insists on the need to almost call new parliamentary elections. She states that the date of the vote should be agreed upon by December 29. That is, by the day her presidential term expires.
What preceded the protests and the threat of arrest
In late October, Georgia held parliamentary elections that were marked by numerous fraudulent practices. As a result of these elections, the pro-Russian Georgian Dream party won, although forecasts and opinion polls indicated that the opposition forces were winning. In addition, the ruling party suspended negotiations on the country's European integration. All of this caused protests.
In addition, on December 14, the electoral college elected a new president of Georgia. He is a former football player, Mikheil Kavelashvili, and he was the only candidate for the post of head of state nominated by the Georgian Dream.
Zourabishvili's presidential term expires on December 29, but she, like the protesters, does not recognize the election results. In this regard, Georgian Prime Minister Kobakhidze threatened her with prison in case of disobedience.
