Georgia's Head of State undergoes another impeachment proceedings
In Georgia, pro-West President Salome Zurabishvili is facing an impeachment process, which was initiated by MPs from the ruling party, three weeks prior to the parliamentary election on October 26th. According to Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, this move was proposed in Tbilisi, as he stated that Zurabishvili had taken foreign trips without the government's approval. The same allegations were raised during the failed impeachment attempt last year. Nevertheless, the Georgian Dream party and its allies lack the necessary votes in parliament to remove Zurabishvili from her post. Papuashvili is hopeful that the motion may pass in a new parliament established after the election.
Zurabishvili gained office in 2018 with the support of Georgian Dream. However, she has since become an adversary of the party and its influential founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire and former Prime Minister. As the President of Georgia, Zurabishvili primarily holds representational powers. In recently, Zurabishvili has endeavored to unite the divided opposition to overthrow the ruling party, Georgian Dream, in the election.
Georgia holds the status of an EU candidate country. EU officials halted all high-level contact with the Tbilisi government last week, citing their "anti-Western and anti-European narratives." Since gaining independence from Russia in 1991, Georgia has been predominantly pro-West.
However, Georgian Dream has faced criticism for impeding the long-term objectives of EU and NATO membership and pursuing a realignment with Russia. The party refutes this accusation, asserting that it is in favor of EU and NATO accession but aims to prevent a conflict with Russia. In polls, the party still ranks first, but it has lately experienced some decline.
Zurabishvili, despite her short stint in office, has managed to establish herself as an adversary to Georgian Dream and its influential founder. The ongoing impeachment process against Zurabishvili, initiated by MPs from the ruling party, has been perceived as a short-lived attempt to weakened her position before the election.
