Georgia has been rocked by major demonstrations since Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's decision on November 28 to suspend the process of joining the European Union (EU). In an interview with Le Monde, 72-year-old pro-European President Salomé Zurabishvili described the ruling Georgian Dream party as "very isolated."
It's not a decision, it's an interpretation of the Constitution. The parliamentary elections of October 26, marked by massive fraud, are invalid. By extension, neither is the elected Parliament, nor the government it swore in, nor the president it will elect on December 14. The whole thing is a kind of fiction, the result of a succession of illegalities.
The handover on December 29, which marks the end of my term, is only valid if it's a legitimate president. As long as this is not the case, I remain the only source of legitimacy and continuity in this country, which is the opposite of instability. If there's a need for compromise, there has to be someone who can sell it to the people in the street and the opposition parties, and act as a link with our European partners. And that's me.
I have no power except that of speech and representation. I can't dictate anything, other than the decision to call another election. That's what the compromise must be about. If Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili [oligarch and informal leader of the country] decides to dismiss his prime minister, then, in accordance with the Constitution, I will call for elections. The solution is for him to withdraw and for us to agree on the terms of the next elections.
Not yet. This is a vital moment for the country, and I hope the outcome will not be tragic. Young people are spontaneously taking to the streets. The very Russian propaganda of the ruling power accuses the opposition and obscure forces of being behind it. But this is not true. No one can control or stop these demonstrations. Unless we find a way to give back to this population what they are asking for, which is – for the moment – not at all revolutionary, namely: "Give me back my voice, give me back my European future, and let's set new elections!"
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