Sovfed called Zurabishvili's unwillingness to step down as president a provocation

The unwillingness of incumbent Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili to leave office is a political provocation. This was stated on December 15 by the head of the Council of the Russian Federation Commission on Information Policy Alexei Pushkov.

He noted that the Georgian leader is pursuing his political goals. Zurabishvili, in his opinion, realizes that the country's authorities cannot allow the emergence of dual power, which could arise due to the "coexistence of two presidents."

"She hopes that the authorities' attempts to remove her from her illegally held post will give a new impetus to opposition protests. In fact, she is preparing a high-profile political provocation," Pushkov wrote in his Telegram channel.

In addition, the head of the Sovfed Commission drew attention to the fact that Zurabishvili does not want to admit defeat, as "she does not want to end up on the dustbin of history waiting impatiently for her".

Presidential campaign: EU interferes in Georgia's affairs on the eve of elections

Will Western pressure affect Zurabishvili's fate and Tbilisi's foreign policy course?

The day before, on December 14, Zurabishvili spoke about the elections held in the country, saying that no one elected anyone. She also expressed gratitude to all those present at the Orbeliani Palace in Tbilisi and noted that she will "defend the citizens and the future of the country to the end".

Presidential elections in the republic kicked off earlier in the day. For the first time in Georgia's history, not citizens but the electoral college voted for a candidate for the post of head of state. The electoral college consisted of 300 people, 211 of whom were members of the Georgian Dream. As a result, Georgian Dream presidential candidate Mikhail Kavelashvili won the necessary 200 votes for the presidential election.

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

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin pointed out that Georgia's leadership is trying to protect the country's national interests and that this policy is causing "heartburn" for the U.S. 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.

In addition, protests are underway 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, and law enforcement agencies had to use tear gas.