Georgian premier says Zourabichvili must leave presidency before Dec. 29

ISTANBUL

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said on Sunday that President Salome Zourabichvili must leave her office before Dec. 29, as anti-government protests continue in the South Caucasus nation for almost a month.

“President Zourabichvili will have to leave office on Dec. 29. Let’s see where she continues her life – behind bars or outside. I believe she has enough sense to avoid violating the Criminal Code,” Kobakhidze told a press briefing in the capital Tbilisi, public broadcaster 1TV reported.

The premier’s remarks come a day after Zourabichvili reiterated her calls for new elections in the country, as well as her readiness to talk about the issue with Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party.

On Dec. 29, ex-footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili will be inaugurated as Georgia’s sixth president. The 53-year-old, the only candidate on the ballot, won on Dec. 14 after a vote by a 300-seat electoral college that replaced direct presidential election in 2017.

The vote, however, has been overshadowed by political tensions stemming from a disputed October election, in which Georgian Dream won an 89-seat majority in the 150-seat parliament after receiving 53.93% of the vote.

Considered pro-EU, Zourabichvili, who was elected in 2018, refused to recognize the results, alleging the election was marred by Russian interference, while opposition parties said the vote was “stolen” and have since boycotted parliament sessions.

On Nov. 28, Kobakhidze said Georgia will suspend EU accession talks until 2028, a move that has led to widespread protests across the country, including the capital Tbilisi.