Georgian President addresses protesters, calls for talks on new election date

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili addressed demonstrators gathered on Rustaveli Avenue on Friday, reaffirming her commitment to the country’s constitution and calling for dialogue on scheduling new parliamentary elections.

“I remain loyal to the country, to the constitution, to which I took the oath six years ago. This constitution, which was trampled underfoot, stands as Georgia stands. I am and will remain loyal to it,” Zourabichvili told the crowd. She emphasised her role as president for all Georgians, regardless of political affiliation.

During her speech, President Zourabichvili proposed inviting Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, to the presidential palace for discussions on finalising the election date. “Ivanishvili should come to the palace, and I am ready to sit down and think about how the elections should be scheduled. The date of the elections should be agreed upon by the 29th,” she said.

Zourabichvili acknowledged the challenges faced by the rally participants, including limited turnout, state restrictions on staging the protest, and threats against her. However, she expressed resilience: “We are not afraid, because only love reigns here. Whoever says that confrontation arises here is spreading yet another lie. Only peace, love, and freedom reign here.”

Technical difficulties interrupted her address, forcing the president to switch to a megaphone. Zourabichvili announced plans to release a full recording of her speech from the presidential palace the following evening, adding, “It seems they have arrested both our stage and our voice.”

The protests erupted in Georgia following the Government’s decision on November 28 to halt EU accession talks until 2028.

The announcement came in the wake of claims by Zourabichvili and opposition groups on rigged October 26 general elections.