President Salome Zourabichvili to remain in her residence ahead of Kavelashvili’s controversial inauguration

In a video message from the Orbeliani Palace, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili announced she would stay at the Presidential residence ahead of the inauguration ceremony of the incoming president-elect, Mikheil Kavelashvili.

“I greet you from the Orbeliani Palace. I am here, I will remain here, and I will spend the night here. Tomorrow, at 10 a.m., I await you at the Orbeliani Palace, where I will tell you how tomorrow will unfold, how the coming days will look, and how we will celebrate our days of victory,” she stated, addressing her supporters.

The statement comes as Kavelashvili, elected on December 14 through an indirect voting system, prepares for his inauguration on Sunday. His election, supported by the ruling Georgian Dream party, has been widely contested by Zourabichvili, opposition parties, and many citizens, who claim the process lacks legitimacy.

For over a month, thousands of Georgians have been protesting against the government, demanding new elections, the release of detained protesters, and accountability for those undermining democratic principles. As tensions rise, Zourabichvili’s defiant stance further underscores the nation’s deepening political divide.

Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has many times urged Zourabichvili to vacate the presidential residence, noting that refusal to do so is a violation of the law and envisages Zourabichvili’s potential imprisonment.