“Credibility to President lost”, her impeachment “justified” – PM

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday said that credibility to President Salome Zourabichviliu had been “lost” after the letter said earlier this year claimed Georgia “did not deserve” the European Union membership candidate status last year and that the Government was not fulfilling the conditions for the status, adding the impeachment process initiated by the ruling party against the President for her non-authorized EU trip was “justified”. 

 

In his comments at the Government session, Garibashvili stressed the President, elected to the post in 2018 with the support of the Georgian Dream ruling party, had “demonstratively violated the constitution” when she last week left for the EU after the Government’s official refusal for her trip. 

 

He claimed his Government had implemented the 12-point conditions outlined by the EU last year for granting Georgia its candidacy, and was in “constant communication” with EU structures and officials to gain the status later this year, amid the opposition’s allegations over “undermining” the country’s European future. 

 

“I would like to remind everyone that neither the President of Georgia, nor our critics – the opposition – have done anything over the last 10 years on the way to European integration. Everything is exclusively the merit of the Georgian Dream – the association agreement, free trade, visa-free regime and the European perspective. Now I believe that our European friends will have more than enough arguments to grant the country a deserved status”,Garibashvili said. 

 

The ruling GD party last week said it would address the country’s Constitutional Court to present its conclusion whether the President had violated the country’s constitution by visiting the EU without the Government’s consent, stressing the country’s main law authorized only the Government to implement domestic and foreign policies. 

 

The President’s Office last week said Zourabichvili’s trip aimed at facilitating the country’s receiving the EU candidate status, following the President’s accusations to the Government of “demonizing” the west and accusing the letter of taking actions to “drag” Georgia into the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.