TBILISI, July 30 – Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zourabichvili, has issued a strongly worded public statement ahead of the final court hearing in the trial of editor Mzia Amaglobeili, calling it a defining moment for the country’s future. Writing on social media, Zourabichvili described 1 August as a watershed date, saying it would mark a … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Giorgi Gakharia’s party For Georgia is reportedly considering nominating former President Salome Zourabichvili as a “neutral candidate” for mayor of Tbilisi in the upcoming local elections. The party, which received 8% of the vote in the 2024 parliamentary election, has announced the start of its campaign for the municipal elections in October and has … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Despite deepening polarization, this year’s Independence Day celebrations in Tbilisi passed without major disruptions. Commentators credited careful planning and the physical separation of events with avoiding incidents, as the country remains engulfed in a deep political crisis where opposition leaders still, 212 days after the election, and with 180 days of continuous rallies, refuse … Read more
The conflict between the president and the ruling political team of Georgia is getting worse. On Monday, Salome Zourabichvili demonstratively refused to participate in the Ambassadors’ Conference 2022 due to “gross violations of generally recognized and established rules of state and diplomatic protocol”. “According to the Constitution of Georgia, the President of Georgia is the … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili has criticized the ruling Georgian Dream party for unilaterally abandoning the EU-mediated agreement. She also reiterated the importance of the country’s European development. This is the first time the president has criticized the political movement that brought her to the presidency. Salome Zourabichvili was able to win the 2018 … Read more
Despite a growing number of appeals, President Salome Zourabichvili has rejected the idea of pardoning Giorgi Rurua, an opposition activist and former paramilitary. “I won’t pardon [him]. The Georgian society knows better than me everything about him and is aware why I will not make this decision. No one and nothing can influence me,” Salome … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–The president of Georgia has become a target of criticism after re-tweeting Donald Trump’s viral tweet in which he derides his possible opponent in the 2020 presidential elections, former Vice President Joe Biden, calling him “sleepy Joe”. President Salome Zurabishvili’s administration had to hold an urgent press conference in which her spokeswoman flatly denied … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–President Salome Zurabishvili calls on CBS to “make the necessary changes” to clear an “irresponsible mistake” in the synopsis of an upcoming episode of the TV series NCIS: New Orleans in which Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia is referred as a Russian province. In the episode “The River Styx, Part II” which will … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–The results of both the ‘pro-government’ and the ‘pro-opposition’ exit polls suggest that Salome Zurabishvili, who is backed by the ruling party, has decisively won Georgia’s last direct presidential elections. However, the opposition is not eager to accept this, claiming that the election lacks legitimacy because of manipulation by the government. Although the Central … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s runoff election for president on Wednesday gained an unexpected drama after the opposition candidate’s strong showing in the first round. One day ahead of the vote, polls indicate a close race. Although the constitution adopted by Georgian parliament in 2017 deprives the president of most powers, both camps, Georgian Dream and United Opposition, … Read more