Zourabichvili attends protest in Tbilisi
Current president of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, joined the protest on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, where demonstrators gathered after the Electoral College declared Mikheil Kavelashvili the "president" of the country.
This was reported by SOVA and relayed by Ukrinform.
Zourabichvili addressed the protesters, wishing them a peaceful evening and urging them to avoid provocations:
“Tonight, the Christmas lights will not be lit. Stay peaceful, stay together, and I am with you. We will not allow any provocations here. I am with you, you are in my heart,” she said.
Earlier, the Mayor of Tbilisi, Kakha Kaladze, announced that the New Year's celebration near the parliament building would be postponed.
Four major opposition parties/coalitions in Georgia, who won seats in the elections but rejected their parliamentary mandates, called on the European Union to declare the “self-proclaimed regime of Bidzina Ivanishvili illegitimate”.
In a letter addressed to the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas and the foreign ministers of EU member states, the opposition highlighted Georgia's unprecedented political crisis, urging immediate action from the EU. They accused the government of organizing terror against peaceful protests.
The letter emphasized that the Georgian people are "bravely resisting authoritarianism supported by Russia, fighting for their democratic European future", and called EU support crucial.
Earlier reports indicated that on Saturday, the Electoral College — dominated by representatives of the ruling pro-Russian Georgian Dream party — declared Mikheil Kavelashvili the "winner" of the presidential elections. The legitimacy of these elections is not recognized by the current president, Zourabivhvili, and the opposition.
Kavelashvili, a former footballer and member of the People's Power party (a nominal splinter from Georgian Dream), was the sole candidate.
Zourabichvili firmly stated that she does not recognize the legitimacy of the elections.