There will probably be impeachment for me, and I will be put in prison if Georgian Dream wins the elections, – President Salome Zurabishvili said at a press conference, noting that these elections are of existential importance.
To the questions, “If the opposition wins the elections, how will relations between Russia and the West be balanced?” And “Will sanctions will be imposed on Russia?” the President said, “Georgia never balanced its attitude between Russia and the West.”
“Georgia joined the sanctions at the same level as Moldova, though there are some nuances. This isn’t an issue,” she said. “Georgia has never tried to balance its relationships between Russia and the West. The Georgian Dream has consistently pursued a clear path of European integration during its time in power, as this is the only route for Georgia to achieve independence, prosperity, and peace. Even 90% of the population shares this view, supporting the Georgian path. Over the past 30 years, nothing has deterred the population from this course. This path will prevail because there is no viable alternative.”
On October 7, the Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili announced that the ruling Georgian Dream party would initiate another round of impeachment proceedings against President Salome Zurabishvili.
Speaker Papuashvili remarked that after the Constitutional Court found the President guilty of violating the Constitution of Georgia, it was the “radical opposition” that provided her with the “impunity” that protected her from impeachment. He noted that, following this security, she continued to disregard the Constitution, particularly by undertaking foreign visits—specifically to France, Germany, Poland, and Belgium last week—without obtaining the necessary authorization from the government.
The ruling party Georgian Dream submitted a constitutional case to the Constitutional Court on October 21, initiating impeachment proceedings against President Salome Zurabishvili. The motion, signed by 81 members of Parliament, was confirmed earlier by the Procedural Affairs Committee.
The Constitutional Court will have one month to review the case, and if approved, Parliament must hold a vote on impeachment within two weeks of receiving the court’s report. A two-thirds majority—100 votes—is required to remove the President from office.
