Zurabishvili: "I am leaving here and taking legitimacy with me"
During the inauguration of the new president of Georgia, the nominee of the ruling party Mikheil Kavelashvili, the president of Georgia made a statement that she would leave the residence on Atoneli. "I am leaving here and taking legitimacy with me... I will come out of here to you and be with you," she addressed the protesters gathered at the residence. It is noteworthy that Zurabishvili today wore the same white and red suit that she wore at her own inauguration six years ago. In the meantime, at 11:00 Tbilisi time, Kavelashvili's inauguration ceremony began. The event is taking place right in the parliament session hall. The "yellow level" of security is in effect, police forces have been deployed to the building. Among those present are “only our own”: deputies from the Georgian Dream, members of the government and the Electoral College. Representatives of the Patriarchate are also invited. For the first time, foreign ambassadors are not present at the inauguration of the President of Georgia. In addition, Kavelashvili’s solemn oath was taken in the session hall, while previously it only happened in the courtyard of the legislative body. The protege of the ruling party took the oath on a personal copy of the Constitution. “Years, decades, even hundreds of years will pass, and this will be the original on which all presidents will take the oath,” said Speaker Shalva Papuashvili. Let us recall that earlier, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze threatened to send Zurabishvili to prison if she refused to leave the residence by December 29. The opposition offered its support to Zurabishvili.
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