International Reactions to Inauguration of Mikheil Kavelashvili as GD’s President-Elect
On December 29, the ruling Georgian Dream party held an inauguration of its chosen candidate Mikheil Kavelashvili for the post of President of Georgia. The brief ceremony was held in the parliament building. No foreign ambassadors attended the inauguration, with the GD claiming that they hadn’t been invited due to lack of space in the parliament building. In a move that further widens Georgia’s deepening political divisions, former footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili was elected President of Georgia on December 14 after garnering 224 votes from the college comprising of the all-GD legislature and local councilors, being the only candidate on the list. Domestic and international actors have rejected Kavelashvili’s legitimacy, citing President Salome Zurabishvili as the only legitimate institution in the country.
We have collected the international reactions to the inauguration of Kavelashvili as a president:
Gitanas Nausėda, President of the Republic of Lithuania: “Just another day in a “traditional” European democracy where no one can take the “dream party” seriously, and a person, only elected and acknowledged by his own party, is inaugurated in a semi-secret ceremony. Georgia must either be redefining democracy or skipping the whole parliament and president thing altogether.”
Caspar Veldkamp, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands: “I commend the leadership of Zurabishvvili and her strong commitment to Georgia’s European course. Georgians have been peacefully defending their democratic and European future on the streets for a month, despite violence and intimidation. No government can ignore their call. OSCE/ODIHR has confirmed serious election violations, as well as the lack of investigation into alleged fraud. It is high time for the Georgian authorities to restore public confidence in democratic institutions by implementing the OSCE recommendations and possibly considering new elections – based on those recommendations.”
Michael Roth, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag: “Zurabishvili saved Georgia’s honor! No one should recognize the so-called new “President” of Georgia or legitimize him through invitations or visits. He was elected by MPs who won their mandates through rigged elections. Georgia needs free and fair elections asap.”
Joe Wilson, Chairman of the US Helsinki Commission: “America stands with the only legitimate Georgian leader Zurabishvili and the Georgian people as they demand free and fair elections, rejecting the sham installation of the CCP and Iranian regime puppet. Sovereignty is not for sale, and the will of free people will prevail.”
Tamás Sulyok, Hungarian President: “To Mikheil Kavelashvili, President-elect of Georgia, please accept my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes on your election as President of Georgia. Hungary is eager to strengthen the mutually beneficial cooperation between our countries and expand joint projects in new areas within our strategic partnership. I assure you that Hungary firmly supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia and the country’s European integration efforts. I wish you good health and great success in your important duties.”
Leonid Slutsky, Head of the Russian State Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs: “Georgia confidently passes the test of sovereignty and independence. Mikhail Kavelashvili has officially assumed the office of President and his legal rights. His inauguration was preceded by a real political drama. Western proxy Salome Zurabishvili refused to resign and leave the presidential palace, urging the foreign-fuelled opposition to radicalize the protests. However, having apparently realized the inevitability of change and the danger of criminal prosecution, Zurabishvili vacated the chair. Lastly, she announced that she was taking with her the ‘legitimacy and flag’ of Georgia. Tbilisi can be congratulated, first of all, on the fact that it managed to avoid bloodshed and the situation going beyond the legal framework during the transfer of power. And legitimacy is not a handbag, you cannot take it away with you. Georgians learnt well the lessons of the Ukrainian Maidan and did not allow their country to be turned into another Western colony and a new anti-Russian bridgehead. And, as said, this is another ‘goal’ in the ‘gates’ of the adherents of American hegemony.”
Konstantin Zatulin, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee: “Salomé ‘takes legitimacy with her’. Apparently she’s going to store it in a trunk full of old clothes. …Of course, Russia should not expect a complete U-turn from Georgia. That would be unrealistic. The task of the new President, according to Prime Minister Kobakhidze, is to ‘bring Georgia into the European Union’ by 2030. We shall see. But it is important to note that, unlike Zelensky, Georgia’s pragmatic leadership did not want to become a tool in foreign hands and risk Georgia once again in the struggle with Russia. I understand that Russia’s recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia is a threshold that is difficult for emotional Georgian politicians to cross. But it is a fact that we have to live with. And we will have to find ways of working together in spite of everything.”
More to follow…
Also Read:
- 30/12/2024 – Liveblog: Resistance | Planned Protests in Tbilisi
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)