Zourabichvili: Georgian Dream May Call Elections to Avoid Collapse
By Liza Mchedlidze
Friday, February 21, 2025
The 5th President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, has not ruled out the possibility that the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party may call early elections itself, as she believes the party is at a dead end and risks collapse.
"Either the regime will collapse if they go all in, or it will call [new] elections itself," Zourabichvili said in an interview with Formula TV. She noted that during her recent visit to the Munich Security Conference, she urged international partners to help Georgia organize new elections in a way that would prevent possible fraud.
"I do not rule out the possibility that Georgian Dream, having reached a dead end, may itself try to call new elections," she stated.
Zourabichvili claimed that GD has been preparing for this moment by adopting repressive laws to maintain control, including a new treason law and amendments to election legislation. She accused the ruling party of using these measures to keep society "under pressure and under control."
She stressed the importance of ensuring fair elections: "We need to know exactly how to conduct [new] elections," she said, linking it to restoring public confidence in the electoral process. She also revealed that she has been working with the opposition, lawyers, and civil society groups to define how future elections should be carried out.
Zourabichvili argued that GD lacks international recognition and is growing increasingly isolated. "Even those who recognize it do so for ideological reasons," she said, adding that Western governments should continue their stance of non-recognition and help push for democratic elections.
She also pointed to increasing internal and external pressure on GD, including ongoing protests and the impact of sanctions. According to Zourabichvili, even before full sanctions have been imposed, their effects are already being felt. She claimed to have received messages from business figures seen as key supporters of GD founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, with some saying, "We are not what you think we are." She argued this showed that financial pressure was already working against the ruling party's backers.
Zourabichvili reiterated that GD is at a "complete deadlock" and could attempt to hold new elections as a way out. "We have to be prepared for anything," she warned.
She also called on Georgians to take to the streets in large numbers on February 25, marking the anniversary of the Soviet takeover of Georgia in 1921.
