“The time of Georgian Dream’s dreaming is over”, President Salome Zurabishvili said in her address on October 16, after the Constitutional Court declared that the President violated the Constitution of Georgia by visiting Europe without the government’s permission:
As Zurabishvili explained, she is not going to leave her post.
“I was heartbroken today, although nothing surprises me anymore in this country and I was not really surprised by today’s result, but I was heartbroken over the Constitutional Court, which remained, in our legal system, one of the places where, to some extent, the court deserved trust. From today, this is no longer the case: the Constitutional Court came to such a conclusion that it should be ashamed, every judge who signed it should be ashamed. Only three people saved somewhat more self-reputation than the constitutional one. This is a great harm to the country at a time when practically all independent institutions are already so distorted and there is no independence-defending institution left in this country, except for one – the President! Therefore, I want to encourage you, tell the public and everyone who will listen today that I am not going anywhere, I will not resign, I will be where I was, where I am all my life and for what I came, stayed, and stood on the street – for our European and democratic future,” said the President.
However, she stated that the time of “dreams” is over:
“This is an attempt made by ‘Georgian Dream’, but the time of their dreaming is over. I will not make their dreams come true and I will not go anywhere. Today, the European future and democracy were killed with one stone. In a country where there is no balance between the branches, that country cannot be considered a democratic country,” said Zurabishvili.
For the record, the Constitutional Court found that President Salome Zurabishvili violated the country’s Constitution by making unauthorized visits to Europe by the government. Three of the 9 judges of the Plenum did not support this decision: Irina Imerlishvili, Giorgi Kverenchkhiladze and Teimuraz Tughush. Judges Merab Turava, Eva Gotsiridze, Giorgi Tevdorashvili, Khvicha Kikilashvili, Manana Kobakhidze and Vasil Roinishvili supported the decision.
By Ana Dumbadze
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