President Zurabishvili Ridicules Kavelashvili’s Planned Election, Asks Mayor to Move Christmas Event

On December 13, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili held a briefing condemning tomorrow’s presidential election by the GD electoral college as “illegitimate.” She also called upon Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze to move the planned turning on of the Christmas Tree on Rustaveli Avenue.

Zurabishvili said the new president’s “illegitimate, unconstitutional” elections are scheduled for December 14, which she called “a travesty” that “has no connection with any political process.” President Zurabishvili said this was an insult to Georgian traditions, history, and culture and that it was “unacceptable.”

President Zurabishvili also said it would be more logical to move the Christmas ceremony away from the area adjacent to the Parliament since the massive use of tear gas by the police has contaminated the area, which, according to some doctors, may not be safe for small children. President said it was “provocative” to schedule the Christmas event right after the “illegitimate” elections, implying that the decision was taken on purpose to impede protest or artificially create confrontation between the protesters and the Christmas-goers. She proposed moving the Christmas ceremony to December 17 and said any incident that may occur unless this request is met would be the mayor’s sole responsibility.

She emphasized that more and more people are taking to the streets in protest all over Georgia, but also abroad, and pointed out the mounting discontent of the civil servants, which, the President argued, was met by the GD Parliament adopting a “repressive” amendment to the Civil Service Law.

Zurabishvili stressed that GD would fail in intimidating people united by a shared aspiration for the country’s European future. She repeated that the protest demanded new parliamentary elections as the only peaceful way to resolve the political crisis.

Finally, President Zurabishvili expressed her determination to remain in the country as “the only [remaining] legitimate institution.”

Also Read:

• 13/12/2024 – GD Parliament Revokes President Zurabishvili’s Right to Protection After End of Her Term
• 10/12/2024 – President Urges International Action Amidst State-Sponsored Violence, Honors Journalists

This post is also available in: ქართული