Parliament Debates Impeachment of President

A plenary session of parliament is discussing the impeachment of Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili. A quorum of 87 registered MPs is present. 100 votes are needed to impeach the president, civil.ge reports.

 

Opposition parties – “United National Movement”, “For Georgia”, “Strategy Aghmashenebeli” do not attend the meetings, they and other opposition parties – “Citizens”, “Euro-optimists”, “Lelo” and “For Georgia” declared that they will not participate in the vote.

 

Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, opened the session by stating that Zurabishvili had violated the constitution, making her ineligible to serve as Georgia’s president. He warned that if the impeachment attempt failed, Zurabishvili would become “President of the United National Movement” for the next year, while still holding the formal title of President of Georgia.

 

Kobakhidze noted that the United National Movement had previously referred to Salome Zurabishvili as an agent, a resident, and a spy. He pointed out the unchangeable nature of such labels, stressing that once someone is called a spy, an agent, or a resident, he or she will always carry that label. However, according to him, the same UNM now heralds Salome Zurabishvili as the pro-European leader in Georgian politics.

 

GD Chair criticized the dissenting judges of the Constitutional Court, stating that they had failed to address what he called a “simple case” and describing their reasoning and record as “absurd”.

 

Irakli Kobakhidze addressed President Zurabishvili: “You called “little men” the people who ensured your presidency… We did everything for you to become a President, we respected the legacy of your ancestors…”

 

In her speech, Salome Zurabishvili addressed the MPs of “Georgian Dream” with a question, how will they look into the eyes of their children and grandchildren when they exchange their personal well-being for the future of Europe?

 

President Salome Zurabishvili stated that the Constitutional Court’s decision on October 16 will be remembered as the consolidation of one-party rule over the judicial system. She added: “You are not impeaching me, you are impeaching yourself, the country, its European future, and your every vote is a vote against this future of ours.”