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Georgia's Outgoing President Joins 31-Day Pro-EU Protests, Refuses to Step Down as New President Inaugurated

Dec 29, 2024, 04:45 AM

In Georgia, thousands of protesters formed human chains across the country, marking 31 days of continuous pro-European Union protests. These demonstrations are in response to the government's decision to suspend EU accession talks until 2028 and the disputed parliamentary election in October, which opposition groups claim was marred by fraud. The protests intensified ahead of the inauguration of Mikheil Kavelashvili as the new president, a move contested by the outgoing president, Salome Zourabichvili. In Tbilisi, protesters formed a human chain connecting 8 bridges. Zourabichvili, who has refused to step down despite the end of her term, joined the protesters and declared herself the country's 'only legitimate president.' In a speech, she stated she would leave the presidential palace but carry legitimacy with her. She has accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of election rigging and has called for new, fair parliamentary elections. The political crisis has been further complicated by the U.S. imposing sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire founder of Georgian Dream, who attended Kavelashvili's inauguration, for undermining Georgia's democratic and Euro-Atlantic future.