Georgian president open to second term Amid upcoming parliamentary elections

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has expressed her willingness to run for a second term if the opposition wins the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 26 and nominates her as their candidate.

In an interview with the Polish TVP World TV channel, Zourabichvili acknowledged the ceremonial nature of the presidential role under Georgian law but outlined her vision for the future, Caliber.Az reports citing Russian media.

She emphasized her commitment to advancing the Georgian Charter, which serves as an action plan for the opposition should they emerge victorious, particularly in relation to initiating EU accession talks before the conclusion of Poland's presidency.

“If the pro-European parties give me a mandate to be their presidential candidate, I am ready to accept it,” Zourabichvili stated, highlighting the importance of ongoing negotiations with European leaders to bring Georgia closer to the European Union.

In June, she invited opposition parties to sign a charter committing to reforms that would be enacted by a new parliament and government if they win. This charter aims to repeal laws perceived as obstacles to Georgia's European integration, including a controversial law on foreign agents adopted in May and certain amendments to the electoral code. Nearly all opposition leaders have signed this document.

Meanwhile, the ruling Georgian Dream party is set to re-launch impeachment proceedings against President Zourabichvili, aiming to demonstrate to the international community that Georgia upholds its Constitution and has mechanisms for its protection.

Vice-Speaker of the Parliament Gia Volski stated that the primary objective of this initiative is to highlight the constitutional framework in place. This decision comes in response to Zourabichvili’s ongoing foreign trips, which she has undertaken without government approval, despite a court ruling declaring such actions unconstitutional.

"We need to reaffirm to the international community that Georgia has a functioning constitution and the means to uphold it. Furthermore, we must make it clear to our citizens that a leader who betrays their trust deserves to be impeached," Volski emphasized during his remarks.

Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili reiterated these sentiments on October 7, underlining the ruling party's commitment to upholding constitutional order in the face of perceived presidential overreach.

The ruling party has long contended that President Salome Zourabichvili, who initially rose to power with the support of the Georgian Dream party, has now aligned herself with the radical opposition.

Speaker Papuashvili announced that the parliamentary majority will prepare a new constitutional submission to be presented to Georgia's Constitutional Court before the upcoming parliamentary elections on October 26. He indicated that the issue will be put to a vote in the newly elected parliament.

The previous impeachment attempt failed due to a lack of support; the initiators, including representatives from the Georgian Dream and the People’s Power parties, secured only 84 votes in Parliament.

Since the last impeachment process, Zourabichvili has undertaken multiple foreign visits without the approval of the Georgian government, including trips to France, Germany, Poland, and Belgium just last week.

Zourabichvili was elected in 2018 for a six-year term, which is set to expire this autumn. Following constitutional amendments, the next president will be elected for a five-year term by a panel of 300 electors, comprising members of parliament and local authority representatives, after the parliamentary elections on October 26.

By Vafa Guliyeva