Georgia's fifth President Salome Zourabichvili: 'I will attend Trump's inauguration'
Zourabichvili to attend Trump’s inauguration
Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zourabichvili, confirmed that she will accept Congressman Joe Wilson’s invitation to attend the inauguration of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and will also hold a series of official meetings in the United States.
What did Zourabichvili say at press conference?
Salome Zourabichvili stated that Georgia is sinking into international isolation because “no one recognizes the government, parliament, or president that came to power in the country as a result of the elections.”
The parliamentary elections on October 26 triggered mass protests across Georgia. Four opposition groups that won parliamentary seats—three coalitions and one party—unanimously declared the election process fraudulent, refused to recognize the legitimacy of the new parliament, and declined their mandates.
President Zourabichvili also denounced the elections as rigged and the newly elected parliament and all its decisions as illegitimate. She declared that she would remain in office as president until new parliamentary elections were held, allowing for a lawful change of power in the country.
On November 28, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze of Georgian Dream announced that Georgia would suspend EU membership talks until 2028. This announcement sparked a new wave of ongoing protests. Tens of thousands of people are demanding the protection of the constitution, which enshrines the country’s course towards European integration, and the holding of new parliamentary elections.
Nevertheless, Georgia’s fifth president emphasized that there is a way out of this isolation—by continuing dialogue with international partners. According to Zourabichvili, she is working on this almost daily and plans to hold additional official meetings.
She confirmed that she would attend Donald Trump’s inauguration at the invitation of Congressman Joe Wilson, stressing that the invitation was offered free of charge: “If it were possible to pay for such an invitation, others with far more resources than I have would have taken advantage of it.”
In her speech, Zourabichvili also highlighted that the country’s government is illegitimate and that state institutions such as the National Bank, the Anti-Corruption Bureau, and the State Audit Office are under the influence of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
The fifth president also criticized state television for presenting citizens with a “false picture”: “In almost every broadcast, we see reality being distorted.”
Speaking about Georgia’s judicial system, Zourabichvili stated that it “has long failed to be an example of what a true court in a democratic country should be.”
“We saw this very clearly during the elections when, with one exception, all the courts supported the position of the Central Election Commission. All levels of the judicial system have been taken away from the people, and it is impossible to achieve justice in this country, which effectively represents the collapse of the democratic system.”
On December 29, 2024, the inauguration of Mikheil Kavelashvili, the president appointed by “Georgian Dream,” took place in the Georgian Parliament building.
Kavelashvili was the first president in the country not elected by the people. His legitimacy is not recognized by the opposition, a significant portion of civil society, and non-governmental organizations. Georgia’s Western partners have also refrained from congratulating Kavelashvili on assuming office.
Zourabichvili to attend Trump’s inauguration
