Diplomats accredited in Georgia were not invited to the ceremony in the parliament. “Lack of seats in the hall” is cited as the reason.
Since Sunday morning, the yellow security level has been set in the parliament building, access to it is restricted, but journalists work there with previously issued special accreditation, the media “Eho Kavkaza” reports.
The current president, Salome Zurabishvili, has announced that she has no plans to resign. She believes that the parliament is illegitimate, but about the election of Kavalashvili, she said that it is “a mockery of democracy”.
Zurabishvili agreed to leave the presidential palace on Sunday.
“I’m leaving here and I’m taking legitimacy with me. Nothing will change whether I’m in residence or not,” Zurabishvili said.
“This presidential residence was a symbol as long as there was a legitimate president here. I am still the only legitimate president of Georgia,” Zurabishvili said.
Addressing supporters who had already gathered outside the presidential palace in the morning, she criticized the ruling Georgian Dream party, which “led the country to a complete crisis.”
In addition, Zurabishvili promised that she will work on the text of the document, which will become the basis for holding new parliamentary elections in Georgia. Previously, she has repeatedly emphasized that she considers the elections held on October 26, in which “Georgia’s dream” won according to the official results, to be falsified.
After Zurabishvili’s speech, several thousand protesters from the vicinity of the presidential palace marched towards the parliament.
As “Eho Kavkaza” reports, the situation near the parliament building has worsened.
There have been clashes between the police and protesters. Several protesters were detained.
On December 14, the “Georgian Dream”-controlled electoral college, which was boycotted by the opposition, elected Kavelashvili to the post of president.
The head of state was previously chosen by direct elections, but in 2017 “Georgia’s Dream” made amendments to the constitution so that the winner could be determined by an electoral college consisting of members of parliament and regional representatives. The ruling party has a majority in this collegium.
The opposition believes that the October 26 parliamentary elections are falsified. After the elections, large-scale opposition protests took place in the capital, Tbilisi, and elsewhere in the country, leading to clashes between protesters and the police. Police used water cannons and tear gas against the protesters.
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