"No Levers of Influence": Expert Evaluates Zurabishvili's "Final Warning"

How Georgia Will Handle Its Political Crisis.

The President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, has given the ruling party, Georgian Dream, a week to decide on a date for repeat parliamentary elections. She has refused to step down from the presidency, despite her term expiring on December 29. In response to her statements, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze questioned whether she sees her future behind bars or as a free citizen.?

"I’m giving a week for a date for new elections to be set," said Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili. It remains unclear what will happen if the authorities do not comply with her demand; during her speech, her microphone suddenly stopped working.?

Although her presidential term ends on December 29, Zurabishvili has decided to remain in office beyond that date. Meanwhile, members of parliament have already elected a new head of state: Mikheil Kavelashvili.?

The country’s Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, warned that if Zurabishvili continues on her current course, she could face imprisonment on criminal charges: "We’ll see where she ends up living — behind bars or in freedom."?

Protests in the country began due to the president’s disagreement with the results of the parliamentary elections. According to the Central Election Commission, the ruling party, Georgian Dream, won the elections with the support of 54% of the population. A segment of the opposition, along with some of Tbilisi’s Western partners, are now demanding that repeat elections be held.?

Political analyst Archil Sikharulidze shared his thoughts on Georgia’s future with “MK”:?

- Does Salome Zurabishvili have any leverage?

- Salome Zurabishvili has no levers of influence. Her calls to the military and police to stop following government orders have failed. Most of the population does not see her as a leader. Her attempts to push the EU and the US to declare Georgia a 'persona non grata' have also failed. In just a week, Salome Zurabishvili will officially lose her position as president. She understands this and may be trying to escalate the situation as much as possible before going into exile, like Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, and presenting herself in the West as a champion of democracy.?

There’s no scenario in which a dual power system emerges in the country. That would only be possible if she had specific forces and support, but she doesn’t. So, this is not even a topic for discussion.

- Will Georgia manage to overcome the division?

- The public divide is currently about 30% versus 70%, and it becomes even less significant when it comes to violence. We see that violence in the streets is supported by an absolute minority. As for measures to work toward unification, dialogue with those willing to engage should begin after the New Year. However, there can be no dialogue with people who believe their opinion is the only truth. Such individuals are extremists and radicals, and they have no place in parliament.

The interview was initially published by MK.ru in Russian and is accessible here.