Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of Parliament, announced on October 7 that the ruling Georgian Dream Party will initiate a second round of impeachment procedures against President Salome Zurabishvili. The speaker stated at a press briefing that the visits to European capitals she made last week was the reason why the ruling Georgian Dream party decided to file a complaint with the Constitutional Court.
Speaker Papuashvili said that after the Constitutional Court found the President guilty of violation of the Constitution of Georgia it was “radical opposition” who gave her “impunity”, which saved her from being impeached. He said that, after she received the security, she continued to break the Constitution at her own will, including by making other foreign trips, such as those to France last week, Germany, Poland, and Belgium, without the permission of the government.
“It is important to note that, if, before the decision of Constitutional Court, foreign governments and organizations could claim that they were unaware that the Georgian president required the consent of government for her visit. After the [Court] decision, it is clear that the reception of Salome Zurabishvili, without the mandatory consent from the Georgian government and the intentional disrespect of the Georgian people, and its constitutional arrangement is a violation against the principle of noninterference in the affairs of a country, and is
Papuashvili said that the government will not ignore this “open and brazen violation” of the Constitution. “Therefore the parliamentary majority has decided to restart the process of impeachment and prepare a new constitution proposal to be presented to the Constitutional Court of Georgia prior to the parliamentary election.” He stated.
Speaker Papuashvili pointed out that the president’s tenure would end anyway next year, and that her impeachment a few months before would have a “symbolic” and “principled” significance, so that she wouldn’t go down in history as the former president but as the impeached President.
President Zurabishvili Attends Warsaw Security Forum and Meets Polish Counterpart
The Daily Beat: September 30,
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