Ruling party claims to react to President’s “violating constitution”, but says impeachment will fail

Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday claimed President Salome Zourabaichvili had “roughly violated” the country’s constitution through visiting Germany earlier during the day without the Government’s approval, claiming his party would not leave the “serious occasion” without a reaction. 

 

In his press comments, Kobakhidze said the party could launch formal procedures against the President in the country’s Constitutional Court, but added her removal from the post would need at least 100 votes in the 150-member Parliament. 

 

“Zourabichvili hopes for the support of the collective United National Movement [in reference to the main opposition group in the country described as “radical” by the GD]”, Kobakhidze said, claiming the President had reportedly received “guarantees from common [unspecified] partners [of her and the UNM to retain the post] before grossly violating the constitution”. 

 

The Government on Wednesday confirmed it had rejected Zourabichvili’s 10 foreign trips, including to Ukraine, Belgium, Poland and Germany,  

 

Responding to the President’s claims that she had requested the visits to facilitate the country’s obtaining the European Union membership candidate status later this year, Kobakhidze said Georgia was a parliamentary republic, where the executive power, domestic and foreign policies were carried out “only by the Government”, while the President was not part of the executive power and did not participate in the implementation of foreign policy.