President Zourabichvili Pressures Ivanishvili for Election Talks Amid Growing Protests
By Liza Mchedlidze
Monday, December 23, 2024
President Salome Zourabichvili addressed thousands of protesters gathered on Rustaveli Avenue, calling for negotiations with Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili to set a new election date before December 29. The speech, delivered in front of the historic First Georgian Gymnasium, was marked by repeated technical disruptions that some suspected were deliberate jamming.
Standing beneath statues of Ilia Chavchavadze and Akaki Tsereteli, figures central to Georgia's 19th-century national awakening, Zourabichvili emphasized her determination to stay in office and her commitment to Georgia's democratic future.
"This location is symbolic," she said, referencing the school where her father once studied. "Behind me, Ilia and Akaki are looking down on the new Georgia that has already been born through you. Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, it will be a strong, very European Georgia, and no one can stop it."
She referenced Georgian Dream chairman Irakli Kobakhidze's claims that only a few hundred protesters attended recent demonstrations. "True, there are about 300 of you here," she said with sarcasm, adding, "but we are not afraid."
Zourabichvili invoked the memory of Georgian military hero Giorgi Antsukhelidze, who was tortured and killed by Russian forces in 2008 for refusing to spit on the Georgian flag. "We all have a duty towards him," she said. "Alongside him, many heroes from our past have contributed to us standing here, for Georgia to be alive. But Georgia never yields when it is right."
Zourabichvili urged Ivanishvili to meet her at the Presidential Palace to negotiate the terms for new elections. "Whoever wants for things to end well in this country, let them come to the palace," she said. "I call on [Bidzina] Ivanishvili to come tomorrow because he governs everything. I am ready to sit down and to negotiate how the elections should take place. But the date for the new elections has to be decided before the 29th of December."
The President presented herself as a defender of the Constitution, a leader for all Georgians regardless of political allegiance, and the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. "I am the President of all Georgians, and so I will remain," she declared firmly.
Zourabichvili's speech was interrupted several times by audio and live feed problems. Some attendees suggested the disruptions were caused by deliberate interference, an accusation yet to be confirmed. Referring to these incidents, Zourabichvili said, "They seem to be stealing not only our stage but also my voice."
She promised to deliver a full recorded address from the Presidential Palace the following evening.
