President on Protests, Role of Opposition and CSOs, and Constitutional Court Case

“A national consensus was reached at the Orbeliani Palace on what we need to do today,” Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili announced at a briefing at the Orbeliani Palace on December 1. The main principle underpinning the consensus is to go towards the EU and not towards Russia, the President said, stressing that Georgian society remains as committed as ever to this goal. She singled out the role of civil society and the opposition in supporting the protests, which she stressed are “independent” and spoke of the importance of the ruling by Constitutional Court on the case that she filed challenging the legitimacy of the elections.

The President said that during the extended meeting with the opposition, she discussed the protests, which she said were an independent process, not driven by political parties, and were continuing throughout the country. “There isn’t a town where protests aren’t taking place,” the President said, stressing that they unite people of all ages and professions.

Salome Zurabishvili said that the protest should say independent but that it should be supported by the political parties and by the civil society, particularly the human rights watchdogs and lawyers, who play important role in supporting the arrested protesters. In this context she mentioned that possibility of the establishment of the special fund to help cover the fines imposed on the demonstrators.

Salome Zurabishili also warned of the possible provocations by the States Security Service and called protesters to be cautious.

She referred to the reports that the Georgian military fighting in Ukraine might come to Georgia, which she called a provocation aimed at damaging the protest, alluding that it is the GD that is behind this disinformation.

She said that the protesters are not only acting within the confines of the Constitution, but that they are protecting it. On the other hand, she said, the ruling party has acted outside the Constitution, including with its decision to suspend Georgia’s European future.

She dismissed statement by GD officials claiming that people misunderstood its announcement stressing that “society understood very well that this statement meant that Georgia was turning its back on Europe.”

She said that the pressure on the Constitutional Court would continue “because the judges of the Court have a unique means and opportunity to resolve this very deep crisis” peacefully and within the constitutional framework.

Against this background, she said, the Constitutional Court had not even set a date for its deliberations. She reiterated that the situation should return to the status quo ante, with the old parliament, and that preparations for new elections should take place during the transitional period.

“We have only one demand, which is a constitutional demand when the elections have been rigged, said the President,” stressing that “the only peaceful way to stability is new elections, there is no other way.”

She pointed to the role of political parties and civil society organisations in developing a plan to ensure an appropriate environment for new elections and to present this plan to the EEAS technical mission.

Salome Zurabishvili addressed the MFA employees’ statement condemning the GD’s U -turn on European integration, as well as the resignations of several Georgian Ambassadors, saying that in spite of shaming by GD officials and calling this a “sabotage” and “discreditation”, the contrary is true: these actions, she said, “restore the confidence of our partners in our diplomatic corps”, because it is incomprehensible for our partners how it is possible for diplomats to carry on after Kobakhidze’s November 28 announcement as if nothing had happened.

She also addressed the events surrounding the Georgian Public Broadcaster, saying that she had wanted to appear on the programme but hadn’t been allowed to do so, and said that she was prepared to give an interview to the station.

She then addressed Kobakhidze’s and Papuashvili’s December 1 statements saying they showed that the ruling party was disoriented, not only because it hadn’t expected such large-scale popular protests, but also because there are many voices in civil society, the business sector and other sectors, and even some voices from the Church, “who don’t agree with the illegitimate decision to distance Georgia from Europe”.Georgia from Europe.”

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