The president of Georgia assures that she will continue in office despite the proximity of the end of her term

The prime minister and rival of the president blames “foreign entities” for the protests in the capital, reactivated tonight

Nov. 30 () –

The president of Georgia, Salomé Zurabishvili, assured this Saturday that she will continue in office as a gesture of defiance against a government that she considers illegitimate, amid protests and riots in the capital, Tbilisi, and despite the proximity of presidential elections on the 14th. of December that would certify the end of his mandate.

“As there is no legitimate Parliament, there will be no legitimate president nor an investiture. That is why I remain as its president,” the Georgian president made known in a televised speech in which she claimed to be “the only independent and legitimate institution that remains in the country” in a speech collected by the Tabula news portal.

With this statement, President Zurabishvili reiterates her complete rejection of the government led by Georgian Dream, of Prime Minister Irakli Kobajidze, whom she accuses of having won the last elections by fraudulent methods and with the covert support of Russia. Since then, the capital has been taken over by protesters opposed to Kobajidze in a succession of protests that this Friday alone left more than a hundred detained.

In subsequent comments to the French network France24, the president insisted that she has no intention of recognizing the Government authorities. “Today we are facing stolen elections, an illegitimate parliament; and an illegitimate parliament cannot elect anything other than an illegitimate government and an illegitimate president,” he stressed before insisting on the need to organize new elections.

“My term will end when the new legitimate president is elected. That depends on the new elections and is the main demand of the people in the streets,” added the president.

THE PRIME MINISTER BLAMES THE PROTESTS ON “FOREIGN ENTITIES”

Kobajidze this Saturday blamed “radicals and their foreign bosses” for staging these demonstrations that his national security service, the SSGE, has directly described as an attempt to “overthrow the Government by violent methods.”

“We call on foreign entities to stop encouraging violent and unfounded protests that fuel anti-European sentiments in Georgian society,” he added.

“They have not yet understood that Georgia is an independent country with strong institutions and, most importantly, with experienced and wise people, whose firmness will not be shaken by anyone,” the prime minister warned.

NEW PROTESTS BEFORE PARLIAMENT

For its part, the Georgian news portal Civil has reported the resumption of protests in front of the Parliament in the capital, Tbilisi, after the riots that left more than a hundred detained last Friday night.

The riot police are using water cannons against the protesters and are now issuing warnings to disperse while the participants have once again erected the barricades that had been dismantled this afternoon and have once again shot fireworks.

Rustaveli Avenue, the main artery of the capital, remains crowded and some protesters are throwing stones at the Legislative headquarters, in addition to burning an image of the president and founder of Georgian Dream, Bidzina Ivanishvili, in front of the building, as has also been confirmed. the Netgazeti news portal.