Expert admits Zurabishvili's creation of an opposition Georgian parliament

After the election of the head of state, incumbent Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili may create an opposition parliament at the prompting of the West, which will lead to dual power in the country and, probably, to a power scenario. This was stated by Stanislav Tarasov, an expert on the problems of the Middle East and the Caucasus, in a conversation with Izvestia on December 16.

Thepresidential election in Georgia was held on December 14. For the first time in the country's history, not citizens, but a panel of 300 electors voted for a candidate for the post of the head of state. Thus, according to the voting results, the candidate from the Georgian Dream party Mikhail Kavelashvili won. He received 200 votes. Zurabishvili, in turn, refused to step down as head of state.

"She claims she will not go anywhere, Georgian MPs say they will carry her out in their arms along with her presidential seat. <...> Against this background, there is a radical undesirable scenario, Zurabishvili is prompted to do so in the West: to gather opposition MPs, create a parallel parliament, create dual power. This will provoke the current authorities to use force," Tarasov commented.

Thus, he added, there is an idea to hold a meeting of the opposition parliament not in the capital, but in other cities of the country, for example, in Kutaisi. However, the expert noted that the opposition receives the most support in Tbilisi, judging by the outcome of the parliamentary elections. Therefore, he believes, the opposition will not be very welcome outside the capital.

According to the interlocutor of the newspaper, Zurabishvili has played into big politics. The elected head of state, unlike her, will fulfill representative functions to a greater extent. In addition, Tarasov said that the European Union (EU) treats Kavelashvili with a sneer - allegedly because of his past career as a soccer player. At the same time, he pointed out, Western politicians and journalists are somehow not embarrassed by the humorous past of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose powers expired in May.

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The day before, Kavelashvili pointed to Georgia's desire to join the EU and preserve its values. He emphasized that it makes no sense for the country to join any association without respecting its own interests.

At the same time, protests continue in Georgia over the suspension of negotiations on European integration and the opposition's disagreement with the results of the parliamentary elections. Protesters tried to set fire to the Georgian parliament building and damaged dozens of offices. Law enforcers used tear gas.