Georgia’s pro-western president, Salome Zourabichvili, has said she will leave the palace but remains the country’s legitimate officeholder, after refusing to hand over the keys to her successor in the wake of a controversial general election.
Her comments on Sunday came moments before Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former football player turned far-right politician backed by the ruling pro-Moscow and increasingly authoritarian Georgian Dream (GD) party, was sworn in as president at a parliamentary ceremony.
At least 2,000 pro-EU protesters had gathered in Tbilisi on Sunday ahead of the disputed presidential inauguration.
Addressing the protesters, Zourabichvili, who has become a rallying figure for those opposed to GD, declared: “I remain the only legitimate president. I will leave the presidential palace and stand with you, carrying with me the legitimacy, the flag and your trust.”
The standoff between Zourabichvili and GD had plunged the country into a political crisis following the contested election in October that GD had won but many Georgians believe was rigged with Russia’s help.
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