Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has announced that she will not leave office when her term ends in December, citing the illegitimacy of the parliament. Protests have erupted in Georgia for a third consecutive night after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced the suspension of talks on EU accession. Zourabichvili, a critic of the governing Georgian Dream party, believes the October 26 election was fraudulent, making the elected parliament illegitimate. She insists that she will remain in office until a legitimately elected parliament is formed.
The unrest has led to clashes between protesters and police, with over a hundred people arrested in the capital, Tbilisi. The prime minister has warned against a potential revolution, comparing the situation to Ukraine’s Maidan protest in 2014. The US State Department has suspended its strategic partnership with Georgia following the government’s decision to halt EU accession talks.
Georgia, which gained independence from Russia in 1991, has been trying to join the EU, but issues such as laws against “foreign agents” and LGBTQ rights have stalled the process. The country’s efforts to build closer relations with Russia have also hindered its EU application. The ongoing political crisis in Georgia reflects the deep divisions within the country as it navigates its future path between the EU and Russia.
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