Georgian PM says President Zourabichvili's resignation inevitable

In an interview with Azerbaijani media, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated that President Salome Zourabichvili will be forced to retire following the inauguration of the new president on December 29.

According to Kobakhidze, Zurabishvili has "tried to harm the national interests" of Georgia, with her actions in the last three years being particularly noticeable, Caliber.Az reports.

"It is a sad phenomenon when a president directly opposes the national interests of his own country, although, thank God, Georgia has been and remains a parliamentary republic," the prime minister remarked.

However, Zurabishvili stated on December 13 that she has no plans to leave the Presidential Palace at the end of her term. She called the upcoming elections as a "travesty" and "illegitimate".

On October 26, parliamentary elections were held in Georgia, where the ruling Georgian Dream party secured 53.93 per cent of the vote. Four opposition parties also entered parliament, collectively receiving 37.78 per cent of the vote. However, opposition representatives rejected the election results, with President Salome Zurabishvili calling for protests.

A new wave of opposition protests erupted in Georgia on November 28, following Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's announcement that the consideration of Georgia's European Union membership would be postponed until 2028.

By Vafa Guliyeva