Opposition says it won’t vote for President’s impeachment

The United National Movement – the largest opposition group in the Parliament – on Monday said it would not vote for President Salome Zourabichvili’s impeachment as the ruling Georgian Dream party announced the procedure last week, accusing the President of violating the country’s constitution through holding foreign visits without the Government’s consent. 

 

Tika Bokuchava, the UNM MP, said by raising the issue the Georgian Dream authorities and the country’s “shadow ruler” –  in reference to the GD founder and the former PM Bidzina Ivanishvili – were trying to “overshadow” main topics and “block” the country’s obtaining the European Union membership candidate status later this year. 

 

“This is a circus aimed at sabotaging the European integration of the country and covering important topics”, said Bokuchava.

 

Khatia Dekanoidze, an opposition MP, also claimed the GD knew beforehand they would not have mandatory 100 votes in the 150-member Parliament to dismiss the President and reiterated it was a “sabotage” targeted against the country’s EU integration. 

 

Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker, on Monday stressed Zourabichvili had “deliberately violated” the country’s constitution by visiting  Europe, after receiving an official refusal from the Government to leave for Germany, Ukraine, Poland and seven other foreign states earlier this year. 

 

He highlighted the constitution did not allow the President, unlike the Government, to implement the country’s foreign policies, and that launching the impeachment  procedure was “in line with democratic values”.