In an interview with Euronews, Salomé Zourabichvili requested EU nations to keep away from doing enterprise as traditional with the Georgian authorities, as “Russia is experimenting with a brand new type of invasion” within the nation.
The outgoing Georgian president reiterated that Georgia’s October 26 parliamentary elections could be manipulated by Russian propaganda and referred to as on the EU to behave shortly, with out explaining how, in an interview with Euronews.
Speaking on the European Parliament plenary in Strasbourg, Salomé Zourabichvili reiterated her promise to not resign on 29 December, the inauguration day when newly elected President Mikheil Kavelashvili is predicted to take workplace.
“My time period continues as a result of the Constitution says it ends when a president is inaugurated. But that president should be elected by the (electoral) faculty, by the parliament, which in itself should be official, which isn’t the case. So I’ll proceed till the following election,” he mentioned.
“The elections have been manipulated”
Zourabichvili reiterated his name for a brand new vote, claiming that the October 26 legislative elections have been manipulated by Russian interference. This vote led to the beginning of the brand new Parliament which, along with native representatives, elected the brand new president on 14 December.
However, the present president is satisfied that the Georgian inhabitants will help her and doesn’t worry being eliminated by drive, even at the price of shedding her safety equipment. “My legitimacy comes from my election and the belief of the inhabitants. It would not rely upon the constructing, the safety equipment or any supplies that they are going to or won’t present,” he mentioned, referring to the ruling Georgian Dream social gathering. “They definitely will not settle for it. They have not accepted it earlier than.”
He mentioned Georgian Dream ought to have acquired between 30% and 35%, slightly than the 53% recorded, citing difficulties that affected the votes of the million Georgian diaspora emigrants, of whom he mentioned 34,000 have been in a position to vote “a because of the quantity of synthetic obstacles which were positioned of their path.”
Zourabichvili outlined varied methods – together with poll rigging utilizing new digital machines, intimidation and vote shopping for – that Russia interfered in Georgia’s October 26 election.
In one month, he mentioned, a movement of $200 million in black cash had come into the nation. “And that is what we all know as a result of the central financial institution at the moment needed to promote greenback reserves, and there was no different rationalization,” he mentioned.
He mentioned Georgian Dream laid the groundwork to govern the election by introducing a regulation designed to strain funding from non-governmental organizations, leaving them much less ready for election remark.
“So this was a classy, well-planned and well-designed operation, supported by Russian propaganda,” he mentioned, citing a meme claiming {that a} “world struggle social gathering” together with Western nations was dragging Georgia into struggle in Ukraine.
Russia has resolutely rejected any accusations of interference in Georgia’s parliamentary elections. “We resolutely reject these allegations. This has turn out to be a typical for a lot of nations, and on the slightest factor, they instantly accuse Russia of interference. No, that is not true, there was no interference and the accusations are completely unfounded,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned. said journalists in Moscow just a few days after the vote.
“A brand new type of invasion from Russia”
Zourabichvili mentioned he doesn’t worry a Russian invasion of Georgia, partly as a result of Russian troops are already on Georgian territory, referring to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which Georgia considers “occupied territories.” But he mentioned Russia is experiencing “a hybrid invasion via elections, via proxies, via an authoritative authorities.”
He referred to as on the EU to behave shortly, to keep away from adopting a “enterprise as traditional” relationship with the Georgian authorities, which “lies to its individuals, saying that it’s going to return to the European path anyway whereas they’re creating a very authoritarian Russian Union ”. sort state.”
The ruling social gathering, in truth, has not explicitly refused to hitch the EU, however introduced on November 28 the suspension of negotiations for EU membership till the tip of 2028. This resolution induced huge protests, that are nonetheless ongoing in a number of Georgian cities, adopted by violent protests. repression, chaotic clashes within the streets, arrests of opposition figures and a number of experiences of accidents.
For now, Europe has been “sluggish to get up and sluggish to react,” because the Georgian president joked throughout his plenary speech. While the European Parliament called On the event of the brand new elections within the Eastern European nation, EU member states have proposed the suspension of visa exemption for Georgian holders of diplomatic and repair passports. However, they didn’t agree on imposing EU sanctions on Georgian officers, because the transfer was blocked by vetoes from Hungary and Slovakia.
ANNOUNCEMENT“I do know the difficulties in (discovering) consensus on deciding on extra direct measures,” Zourabichvili commented. “But I additionally assume that the EU can not let one nation determine its personal international coverage in a area as strategically vital for the European Union because the Caucasus is.”
Therefore, he referred to as on the EU to step up its response and help it now. He made his case by assembly MEPs and EU officers in Parliament after his speech. “Some individuals ask me if I’ll go into exile, saying they might be very comfortable to help me. But no, I shall be in Georgia and so they need to help me in Georgia along with the Georgian individuals.”
