Irakli Kobakhidze Accuses President Salome Zourabichvili of Violating the Constitution
By Liza Mchedlidze
Friday, September 1, 2023
The government of Georgia recently denied President Salome Zourabichvili official working visits to 10 countries. Despite this, Zourabichvili arrived in Berlin on August 31 and held a meeting with the President of Germany.
"We are already aware that Salome Zourabichvili is opposed to European integration. While I wouldn't emphasize this too much, her actions also involve a violation of the constitution, and we must address this matter," stated Irakli Kobakhidze, Chairman of the Georgian Dream party.
According to Kobakhidze, the President's visits without government permission constitute a significant breach of the constitution. One potential mechanism for addressing this violation is impeachment, although the process requires the support of 100 votes in the parliament.
"If we were to approach the Constitutional Court, it would likely rule that the Georgian Constitution has indeed been directly violated in this case. The ruling would be straightforward based on a textual interpretation. However, it's worth noting that impeachment necessitates the backing of 100 votes, and Salome Zourabichvili is relying on the United National Movement for her support."
In response to Zourabichvili's visit to Germany, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia issued a statement clarifying that the embassies are not involved in organizing the President's visits to Europe.
"Given that these visits are not coordinated with the government, the foreign embassies of Georgia are not engaged in the logistical and organizational aspects of these visits," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained.
