The current president of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, whose term ends at 11 AM on December 29 (9 AM Kyiv time), has no intention of stepping down and has called on all those dissatisfied with the parliamentary election results to gather at the Orbeliani presidential palace, reports "Echo of the Caucasus."
"Greetings to you from the Orbeliani palace. I am here, and I will remain here, spending the night. Tomorrow at 10 AM, I expect you at the Orbeliani palace, and from here, I will share what tomorrow will bring. I will tell you about the following days and the days of victory," Zourabichvili stated in her address.
According to the publication, the opposition has expressed its readiness to support Zourabichvili, including providing her with physical protection at the presidential residence. She previously stated that she would remain in office as she does not recognize the results of the parliamentary elections held on October 26, and the subsequent election of Mikheil Kavelashvili as head of state by parliament on December 14, insisting on holding early parliamentary elections, deeming the current government illegitimate.
The inauguration ceremony for Kavelashvili is set to begin on December 29 at 11 AM local time and is expected to last 40 minutes. The event will take place amid protests, with citizens starting to gather outside the Georgian parliament from 9 AM.
As reported by "News Georgia," four opposition parties in Georgia – "Coalition for Change," "Strong Georgia," "Unity – National Movement," and "Gakharia for Georgia" – have issued a joint statement urging the international community not to recognize the legitimacy of the parliament, government, and president of the "Georgian Dream," and to recognize the current president Salome Zourabichvili as the only legitimate representative of power in Georgia.
"We call for abstaining from recognizing the self-proclaimed 'Georgian Dream' regime as the legitimate government of Georgia; abstaining from recognizing, in any form, the legitimacy of the parliament convened on November 25, the president, and the ministers appointed by this self-proclaimed parliament," the statement reads.
These opposition parties are boycotting parliament following the October elections. According to the official results, the "Georgian Dream" received nearly 54% of the votes, but the opposition does not recognize the results, insisting that the elections were rigged.
In recent days, the current president has regularly received threats from the ruling party. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated that Zourabichvili would face criminal charges if she attempted to call for new parliamentary elections for any unlawful reason, and if she refuses to leave the residence after her term ends, she would be forcibly removed and "transferred to a correctional facility."
The European Parliament has not recognized the results of the parliamentary elections in Georgia and has called for new elections under international observation. In a resolution adopted, the deputies pointed out significant violations during the elections on October 26. They stated that the official results, which confirmed the victory of the ruling party "Georgian Dream," "do not reflect the will of the Georgian people."
Source:
https://www.ekhokavkaza.com/a/prezident-gruzii-salome-zurabishvili-vystupila-s-obrascheniem/33256307.html
https://www.newsgeorgia.ge/oppozicija-prizvala-mezhdunarodnoe-soobshhestvo-ne-priznavat-legitimnost-kavelashvili/