On August 5, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili hosted a press conference at the Orbeliani Palace with journalists from various local television, online and radio media, including those from regional channels. Notably absent was the Georgian Public Broadcaster, continuing its trend of declining presidential invitations. Zurabishvili expressed her disappointment and said “I think it’s a violation of their charter” at the beginning of the event.
During the nearly two-hour press conference, the President answered dozens of questions and spoke on a range of issues, including the “Georgian Charter,” the ruling GD party’s recent anti-Western policies, the upcoming parliamentary elections, the recent U.S. steps to cut financial aid to state institutions, and others. Zurabishvili also called GD honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili into the debate.
“Georgian Charter”
President clarified many details of the Georgian Charter, a roadmap for reforms that creates a technical government to open EU accession talks and promises to hold new elections in 2025. Most opposition parties have signed the Charter.
Zurabishvili refused to discuss to speculate on who will become prime minister or who will run in the event of the Charter’s success, stressing that parties should now focus more on implementing reforms than on leadership positions. “We should all reject personal political ambitions,” she said.
Asked who would ensure that the parties kept their promises outlined in the Charter, the President said that she herself, but first and foremost the Georgian people, would play a crucial role in holding the parties accountable to the commitments to which they had subscribed. She warned that any deviation from these principles would likely result in a loss of voter confidence and support in the next elections in 2025.
In discussing the reforms enshrined in the Charter, the President focused heavily on the importance of reforming the judiciary, which she openly stated is under “clan rule.” She strongly condemned the court’s recent move to suspend her constitutional decision to appoint the member of the High Council of Justice, saying that the influence of the clan is so strong that even the government is its “hostage.”
Upcoming Elections
The President said that her main activities in the pre-election period will include raising public awareness about the Georgian Charter, creating public trust in the Charter and the parties that take responsibility through the Charter, and supporting the “European front”. She said: “I am not a member of the party campaign, but I am a leader of the European campaign.”
President Zurabishvili was particularly keen to stress the importance of every single vote in the upcoming elections. Welcoming any unification of the opposition parties, she said that small parties that are unlikely to pass the 5 percent threshold should not, by running alone, help the “anti-European” Georgian Dream party to benefit from their “lost votes.”
As one of the champions of the emigrant vote, she also touched on this issue of the diaspora’s vote, accusing the authorities of “doing everything to prevent them from participating in the elections,” although she expressed hope for the various citizen initiatives to facilitate emigrant access to the ballot box.
Bidzina Ivanishvili
Zurabishvili criticized Bidzina Ivanishvili for “not responding to the society” regarding recent steps such as “derailing” the government from the declared European course, reintroducing the law on foreign agents, “isolating” and “harming” the country”, “trampling” on the national joy over obtaining EU candidate status, “isolating and weakening” Georgia.
Zurabishvili noted that society lacks Ivanishvili’s explanations, except for two long speeches [referring to Ivanishvili’s April 29 and recent July 16 speeches], which the President said were full of hatred against Georgia’s Western partners and Georgian society.
President Zurabishvili challenged Ivanishvili to a debate. Citing Ivanishvili’s influence on state institutions and leadership she stressed that “for the society to know, he is obliged to explain some positions.”
Freezing of U.S. Assistance
The President also responded to the journalist’s question about the impact of the U.S. statements and actions on Georgia’s security. The President said that while the swift and severe U.S. response to the Georgian government’s actions was expected and did not surprise her, the aid cuts “cannot” affect the Georgian Army and the Lugar Research Laboratory.
“There are many directions where this government can be punished, and they should punish it, but it is the Georgian army that cannot be punished, on which our state, our defense is based, especially considering that it was created entirely by America,” President Zurabishvili stressed, noting that she plans to discuss these very issues with U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who she said will be visiting Georgia soon.
