Crisis in Georgia: President Zourabichvili vs. Georgian Dream

Georgia is in a political crisis as President Salome Zourabichvili challenges the legitimacy of the government and vows to remain in office past her term expiration. This turmoil arises after the Georgian Dream party halted EU accession talks, sparking large protests and accusations of election fraud.

Georgia is currently engulfed in a political crisis as President Salome Zourabichvili declared the government illegitimate on Saturday. She vowed to remain in office beyond her term's end next month, opposing the move by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze's Georgian Dream party to halt EU accession talks for four years, citing blackmail by the bloc. This abrupt policy shift has incited widespread protests.

EU membership remains a popular ambition among Georgians, embedded in the country's constitution. Zourabichvili, a critic of Georgian Dream with mostly ceremonial powers, asserted that the parliament has no right to elect her successor due to election fraud claims. She pointed to an Oct. 26 election process that opponents contend was manipulated, rendering the parliament illegitimate.

Prime Minister Kobakhidze has accused adversaries of attempting a revolution reminiscent of Ukraine's 2014 Maidan protests. Meanwhile, protests intensified with 107 arrests during demonstrations in Tbilisi. Criticism mounts against Georgian Dream's authoritarian and pro-Russian stances as relations with the West deteriorate, with allegations of electoral malpractice and repression against dissenters.

(With inputs from agencies.)