Zurabishvili appeared in front of Georgian parliament on presidential election day

Georgia's incumbent President Salome Zurabishvili appeared outside the parliament in Tbilisi on Saturday, December 14, the day of the republic's presidential election.

The politician walked along Rustaveli Avenue, where the legislative building is located, heading towards the Presidential Palace. Zurabishvili was surrounded by journalists to whom she said she was "going to work," Sputnik Georgia reported in its Telegram channel.

Protesters gathered outside the parliament shouted the president's name, but she did not stop, said nothing to her supporters and continued on her way to the palace.

"This is an illegitimate president and everything that is happening is a farce! The time will come and we will resign him!" Zurabishvili's brother Otar told reporters outside parliament, referring to Georgian presidential candidate Mikhail Kavelashvili of the ruling Georgian Dream party.

Protesters in front of parliament are making noise, whistling and playing ball.

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Earlier in the day, presidential elections kicked off in the republic, where for the first time in Georgia's history, not citizens but the electoral college will vote. The session began at 9:00 (8:00 Moscow time) and will last until 14:00 (13:00 Moscow time). The country's Central Election Commission (CEC) will summarize the results of the vote immediately after it ends. The panel consists of 300 people, 211 of whom are members of the Georgian Dream. Kavelashvili is the only candidate, he will be elected if he gets 200 votes.

At the same time, a rally began in front of the Parliament for the 17th consecutive day, police blocked Rustaveli Avenue, prepared water cannons and cordoned off the building of the legislative body, to the entrances of which the demonstrators came close.

The day before, December 13, Zurabishvili said she would not leave the presidential palace after December 29, when her term expires. Opposition supporters also rallied outside the parliament that day.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin pointed out on December 9 that Georgia's leadership is trying to protect the country's national interests and that this policy causes "heartburn" for the United States and European Union (EU) countries. The deputy minister believes that the West will not stop its attacks on the republic and will impose new sanctions on Tbilisi.

There are protests in Georgia over the suspension of negotiations on European integration and the opposition's disagreement with the results of parliamentary elections. Protesters tried to set fire to the Georgian parliament building and damaged dozens of offices, while law enforcement agencies had to use tear gas.