Political analyst names options for the development of the political situation in Georgia

It is unlikely that Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has the option of a forceful scenario to overthrow the ruling Georgian Dream party. It is very likely that she will try to form a "government in exile". Political analyst Alexander Asafov shared this opinion with Izvestia on December 24.

The day before, Zurabishvili threatened to "overthrow the regime" if the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition do not reach a compromise on the issue of new parliamentary elections. She stressed that new elections should be held in the country by December 29.

"I don't think Zurabishvili has any option of a power scenario. Of course, she will try to sway the street, but as we see, the street has not worked despite all the external and internal efforts. She can form a kind of 'government in exile' <...> and try to achieve something from this position," Asafov commented.

The second option for Zurabishvili, according to the newspaper's interlocutor, is to repeat the fate of former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili - "the fate of a political prisoner". Zurabishvili has no other options, the expert expressed confidence.

"I lean toward the first [option]. I think that such a decision will be made, as obviously all points of no return have already been passed and all possibilities to reach an agreement are also in the past," he concluded.

Footballer vs. Frenchwoman: Georgia on the threshold of dual power

President Zurabishvili refuses to leave office

Thepresidential elections in Georgia were held on December 14. For the first time the candidate for the post of the head of state was voted for not by citizens, but by a panel of 300 electors. Mikhail Kavelashvili, a candidate from the Georgian Dream party, won the election.

After that, on December 22, Zurabishvili gave the authorities a week to call new parliamentary elections. On that day, she joined protests in Tbilisi. On the same day, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said that if the President of Georgia decides to call new parliamentary elections or refuses to leave the residence of the head of state, it will threaten her with criminal liability.

Thus, Zurabishvili refused to leave the post of the head of state. This is happening against the background of ongoing protests in Georgia due to the suspension of negotiations on European integration and opposition disagreement with the results of parliamentary elections, which were held at the end of October and the results of which Zurabishvili also does not recognize. According to the assessment of Middle East and Caucasus expert Stanislav Tarasov, which he told Izvestia, she may create an opposition parliament, which threatens dual power in the country and a power scenario.