TBILISI: Former Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili unveiled her new office and declared her readiness to undertake "presidentia...
TBILISI: Former Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili unveiled her new office and declared her readiness to undertake "presidential duties" within it, speaking at a briefing in Tbilisi.
"Today I want to welcome you to this new office, which is a logical successor to the Orbeliani Palace (the presidential residence). It may appear differently, but both the Orbeliani Palace's essence and spirit are the same, and all the presidential functions will be fulfilled here," Zourabichvili said.
The country is mired in a deep crisis, and calling fresh parliamentary elections is a potential solution, Zourabichvili said, adding that she will meet with citizens of Georgia, including during her planned visit to the western city of Zugdidi on January 10. "I am the president and will remain the president," she stated at the briefing, with the presidential standard, the flags of Georgia, and the European Union displayed behind her.
Zourabichvili's new office is located on Chovelidze Street in the heart of Tbilisi.
On December 29, Georgia's sixth president, Mikhail Kavelashvili, was inaugurated in the country's parliament. He was elected for a five-year term on December 14. For the first time, the country’s new president was chosen by electors rather than through a popular vote. Meanwhile, Zourabichvili, Kavelashvili's predecessor, refused to recognize the outcome of the October 26 parliamentary election and maintained that his election was illegitimate. In parallel with the inauguration, she addressed her supporters in the courtyard of the presidential residence and subsequently vacated the building.
-News Feed
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