Georgia President Salome Zourabichvili won’t stand down : NPR

Former Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili speaks to demonstrators of hundreds of Georgian companies while they were going out in the streets by suspending their work during an unprecedented national strike at three hours in Tbilisi, Georgia, Wednesday, January 15.

Zurab TSertsvadze / AP

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Zurab TSertsvadze / AP

The country of Georgia is now a “weak democracy” after last year’s legislative elections which saw a pro-Russian party winning the majority of seats and no longer represents a pro-Western future that the small Caucasus region has fought so hard for more than 30 years, said the outgoing Georgian president Salome Zourabichvili.

“Today, none of the institutions that exists in Georgia is independent in the sense that they all depend on a party, which itself depends on one man … probably very linked to Russia,” she said Morning edition In an interview during a trip to Washington DC, she was in the American capital to collect the support of the congress to exert pressure on the ruling party, in particular by addressing the Helsinki Commission September 10.

On October 26, 2024-Following a vote responsible for reports of electoral fraud, intimidation and violence, the Georgian Party Pro-Russian anti-Western party obtained 89 out of 150 seats in the Georgian Parliament. Moscow denies any involvement.

After the announcement of the results, Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators took the streets of the capital, Tbilissi, demanding that the results be canceled – and more than 300 days later, The demonstrations continue.

The day after the elections, Zourabichvili, who was elected in 2018 as an independence, declared the vote a “total falsification” And that Georgia had been the victim of a “special Russia operation”.

She has refused to withdraw from her duties and to date remains the “legitimate [president] In the eyes of the people, ”she said. Zourabichvili says that it involves with it the responsibility to pursue the pro -Western objectives of Georgia, as to join the European Union and NATO – aspirations. Since he took officewith Other policies The EU considered as “Backslading Democrat.”

Being part of the USSR until its independence in 1991, Georgia has a complex relationship with Russia. In 2008, Russia invaded Georgia and the two fought a war that only lasted more than two weeks. Russia still occupies 20% of the territory of Georgia.

But while the United States, as well as the European Union, do not officially recognize the current government of Georgia and always publicly supports The sovereignty of Georgia, Zourabichvili says that others can be done. She also notes that the Playbook Moscow used Georgia – interference in its elections and transforming its government into proxy – Russia has tested in the region to obtain an influence.

“They tried it in Romania … Moldova is a [another] Test the case, “she said.” It could be Ukraine after a ceasefire, where [Russia] Would probably push the elections. “”

Addressing Leila Fadel of NPR, Zourabichvili explained why the United States should worry about the fate of her country.

This interview has been modified for duration and clarity.

Strengths of the interview

Leila Fadel: Georgia Dream is a party that approved you in 2018.

Salome Zourabichvili: Not only approved, [it] Introduced into the Constitution, Euro-Atlantic integration.

Fadel: SO, They were also faced with Europe and the West.

Zourabichvili: Completely at the start.

Fadel: So what happened? Is there a moment that you can point or have started to see a change? A democrat decline begins?

Zourabichvili: Well, you can indicate different steps, of course, and the question is always, is that something that we have not seen and we could have stopped earlier? Obviously, when the justice reform was arrested was a point over time, in [20]21. But the real change, I would say, comes in 2022. It was delivered with the Ukrainian war, it is accompanied on the side of Russia, it has just not stored on the side of our Western partners for the sanctions. And it comes with very hard speeches from Mr. [Bidzina] Ivanishvili himself, the head of the Georgian dream, against our Western partners accusing them of wanting to wage a war from Georgia to Russia.

Fadel: How do you see your role right now? Your name is always the president of Georgia. You do not recognize this election.

Zourabichvili: I am legitimate in the eyes of the people, but I am there for two very important reasons. The first is that I represent the people and their desire to continue on the road since independence and it was very clearly pro-Western. I represent another very strong will of the Georgian people, who are to see their united opposition.

Fadel: It is really that of criticisms on the opposition is that it is fragmented and therefore not effective. Is your goal to change this?

Zourabichvili: My goal is, every day, to try to change this. I think we are making progress and it is clearly the will of the people.

Fadel: Beyond the reason why this is important for the Georgian people and their future. Why is it important to the west beyond the borders of Georgia?

Zourabichvili: First of all, Georgia is a place where the United States and the European Union have invested massively in the construction of an independent state. But moreover, if this commitment was there, it was because there was an interest, a strategic interest in this region, which is essential for the link between Western Europe and Central Asia, between the two seas. What the Russians know very well and have known for centuries is that the one who holds Georgia holds the Caucasus.

And another interest, I would say, is that there is so much effort devoted to Ukraine and to prevent Ukraine from falling into the militarily of Russia. Russia has not succeeded for more than 3 and a half years, but now it succeeds in Georgia in a much silent way with [a] proxy government. They manage to do exactly that.

Fadel: There are a lot of parallels, right? A partial occupation of the land …

Zourabichvili: Yes. But they recognize, I think, internally, not outside, that this policy of total military assault is very expensive for Russia and not very effective – and they test in Georgia an alternative policy. Trucked elections, a proxy government, an increasing and financially influence. All this is something that could be a new model so that Russia extends its influence.

This digital article was published by Obed Manuel. The released version of this interview was produced by Ana Perez and edited by Ashley Westerman.