Georgia's President Salome Zurabishvili Says He Will Not Resign Despite Expiration of her mandate, as the parliament is “illegitimate“.
„I remain your president, there is no legitimate parliament. Accordingly, an illegitimate parliament will not be able to elect a new president. Thus the opening will not take place. And my mandate continues as long as there is a legitimately elected parliament, Zurabishvili said in his televised address.
On November 26, the Parliament of Georgia approved the appointment of presidential elections for December 14 and the inauguration of December 29. Later, the ruling party "Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia" nominated MP Mihail Kavelashvili as his presidential candidate.
For the first time, the president of Georgia will not be elected by universal and popular vote. The head of state will be elected by a committee of 300 voters. All 150 deputies of the Georgian parliament, representatives of the Supreme Councils of Adjara and Abkhazia, as well as deputies from local authorities will participate in it. A group of voters of at least 30 people has the right to nominate their candidate for president. The opposition has not yet announced whether it will nominate a candidate. The elections will be held by the Central Election Commission of Georgia in the Parliament building.
Current President Zurabishvili was elected in 2018. for a six-year term exceptionally by direct vote of the citizens. From now on, the president will be elected for a five-year term.