Today, on December 22, in front of the monument of Ilia and Akaki, the legitimately elected President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili addressed hundreds of thousands of protest participants. The protesters greeted the President with applause and supportive chants.
“My father studied at this school. Ilia and Akaki are watching us and watching this new Georgia, which has already been born, which tomorrow, the day after tomorrow will be a very, very European Georgia and no one can stop this,” – the President addressed the protest participants.
She also joked about the de facto government’s deliberate diminishment of the number of protest participants, and addressed hundreds of thousands of citizens: “True, you are only 300 people here, true, they ‘arrested’ our stage, microphones, and everything possible, and twice at that, true, they promised me that I would be behind bars soon, but are we afraid?!” – which was followed by loud chants of “No” from the citizens.
“We are not afraid, because only love reigns here. Whoever says that something is being born here, confrontation with someone – this is another lie among many lies. Only peace, love, and freedom reign here.
Today among many marches, there was one very important one, which was Antsukhelidze’s march. And it is precisely before Antsukhelidze that I am obligated, you are obligated, to be faithful to that Georgia for which he sacrificed his life.
And along with Antsukhelidze, those numerous heroes whom Georgia’s past counts and because of whom we stand here, otherwise we wouldn’t be, otherwise Georgia wouldn’t be.
But Georgia never submits, Georgia doesn’t yield when it is right.
And Georgia is right.
And you are right.
And now I want to tell you what we will do.
I am and will be the country’s Supreme Commander-in-Chief. I am and will be faithful to the Georgian people.”
After resolving the interruption caused by the cutting of the microphone, she continued:
“I want to tell you what we will do.
First of all, what I will do. I remain faithful to that country, that Constitution before which I took an oath 6 years ago. This Constitution, which they trampled upon, but today stands, as Georgia stands. I can only continue and be faithful to it.
I will be faithful to that Georgian army and its veterans who came here today; the army that protects Georgia and is itself faithful to those partners who created, equipped, and strengthened Georgia’s army.
I am and will be its Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
Let Ivanishvili come to the palace, and I am ready to sit down and think about how elections should be scheduled. However, the date for scheduling elections must be agreed upon by December 29.
Until the 29th, we all have a great chance to push this country forward, for an example of democracy, an example of reconciliation, an example of progress to be shown by this country to the whole world.
I am waiting for an answer.
To make all this clear, tomorrow evening, from the palace, I will record a full speech there, because not only was the stage ‘arrested’ here, apparently the equipment was also ‘arrested.’ But it’s okay, we will meet and I’m waiting for you.”
Citizens are talking about the interference with the legitimately elected President of Georgia – Salome Zurabishvili’s speech, by persons, connected with the de facto government. According to them, first, they dismantled the stage, second, they didn’t allow her on the stage set up by Tbilisi City Hall, and after almost an hour’s delay, they allegedly cut the microphone cables in three places during her speech. There was also deliberate signal jamming, which resulted in television broadcasts being disrupted.
Note: After the elections, following the acquisition and assessment of evidences, documenting numerous violations by local observer organizations, no democratic state recognizes the results of the 2024 parliamentary elections. Accordingly, the de facto government of Georgia was referred to as the “Georgian Dream” political party. On December 20, following the final assessment published by OSCE/ODIHR, which discusses severe and systemic violations of electoral legislation and principles, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) refers to “Georgian Dream” as the “de facto government” when discussing it.
