Pro-Russian Ruling Party in Georgia Initiates Impeachment Proceedings Against President Zurabishvili

The ruling pro-Russian party "Georgian Dream" is launching impeachment proceedings against the President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili. The official reason cited is her visits to Europe, which were not coordinated with the government.

This was announced by the leader of the party, Irakli Kobakhidze, as reported by the Mtavari channel.

"We have repeatedly pointed out that, despite a blatant violation of the Constitution, it is impossible to complete the impeachment procedure in the current political situation. To bring impeachment to a conclusion, the support of 100 Members of Parliament is needed, and without the votes of the radical opposition, it has no prospects of realization. Nevertheless, we have decided at the party's political council to initiate the impeachment procedure against the president. First of all, this is our responsibility under the Constitution of Georgia," he said.

Kobakhidze stated that the president's visits are "counterproductive" and may hinder Georgia's efforts to obtain candidate status for EU membership.

He also announced that "Georgian Dream" will turn to the Constitutional Court: "The Constitutional Court will officially confirm the president's gross violation of the Constitution."

The head of "Georgian Dream" also mentioned that coordination between the president and the "radical opposition" will reappear in the voting.

Zurabishvili embarked on a visit to Germany, despite the dissatisfaction of the Georgian government and the leading party. The government did not grant permission to the president for the visit, and "Georgian Dream" accused her of violating the Constitution. On August 31, Zurabishvili met with the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in Berlin.

Earlier, the Presidential Administration announced that Zurabishvili was starting meetings with European leaders "to support Georgia's bid for EU candidate status."

Salome Zurabishvili became the President of Georgia in 2018 with the support of the "Georgian Dream" party and its founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili. Relations between the president and the government have deteriorated since the start of the war in Ukraine. Her term of office expires in the autumn of 2024.

According to the Constitution of Georgia, the president of the country exercises representative powers in external relations with the government's consent.

It should be noted that President Salome Zurabishvili of Georgia had planned to visit Ukraine on a working visit on Independence Day, August 24, but the government did not approve her trip.

As previously reported by The Gaze, the de facto leader of the "Georgian Dream" party is Bidzina Ivanishvili, a figure on the "friends of Putin" list, who served as Prime Minister of Georgia from October 2012 to November 2013. According to Transparency International Georgia, Ivanishvili is the beneficial owner of at least one company in Russia, and his close circle continues to do business with a former KGB general who is under U.S. sanctions. In 2022-2023, Georgia became one of the few trading centers through which Russia circumvents sanctions on the import of electronics and dual-use goods.