President Zurabishvili: Georgia "at crossroads" with pandemic challenge, political polarisation

Georgia is at a crossroads with the challenge of the latest wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and continued political polarisation ahead of municipal elections in October, President Salome Zurabishvili said in an address she released on Tuesday.

In a lengthy speech at Tbilisi's Orbeliani Palace residence, delivered amid intensifying election campaigns from parties and accompanying rhetoric - in addition to sharply increased rates of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country - the president appealed to common citizens as well as political forces about a critical point for the society.

EU- mediated agreement of April 19 

"I believe that the process behind [the April 19] document, the goals that this document pursues and the principles on which this document is based on are not exhaustive and represent the path that this country must go through and that I support," underlined Zurabishvili. 

"I personally take some responsibility and I am even proud to have supported the involvement of the EU at a time when the political crisis in the country was at a standstill. However, I cannot take responsibility for certain elements of the document that were agreed between parties, nor on their “annulment”.

"However, today the post-facto ‘discovery’ that it turns out we gave up something that was unacceptable and that might harm the country is incomprehensible. In my experience, red lines are crossed before signing. I believe that the process behind this document, the goals that this document pursues and the principles on which this document is based on are not exhaustive and represent the path that this country must go through and that I support," stated the President of Georgia. 

The April 19 Agreement, mediated by European Council President Charles Michel between the Georgian Dream government and the opposition to end a six-month political stalemate in the country, is a "real bridge between us and Europe", Zurabishvili underscored in her speech, adding she had told members of the ruling party that the deal should be "understood, valued, used and taken care of". The comments come in the wake of the ruling party Georgian Dream's decision to unilaterally leave the agreement.

The president also spoke of "the responsible attitude of the parties that entered Parliament on the basis of this agreement" - meaning the opposition that had left the lawmaking body after the October 2020 parliamentary elections with claims of fraud - adding the agreement had shifted political processes from the street protests and back into the parliament.

In her comments Zurabishvili added she disagreed with Georgian Dream officials who said the deal had not been successful in reducing polarisation between the government and the opposition, also noting a continued reduction of tension was "the only way to strengthen the stability and independence chosen by the society of our country."

The result of this document is that some opposition forces failed to take to the streets, lost all resources of destabilization and, by not signing, marginalized themselves. This is why I disagree with the ruling party's assessment that polarisation has not been reduced, an argument used for their leaving the document. The document reduces this polarisation, weakens it and I am sure that this process will continue in spite of everything. This is the only way to strengthen the stability and independence chosen by the society of our country," underlined Salome Zurabishvili. 

The subject of patriotism also expands into the realm of political positions, she said in another subject of her address, and political players should refrain from engaging "in a campaign of active discrediting" of the country for achieving partisan objectives.

Raising the question of the importance of maintaining allies in the "current reality in our region and in the world", Zurabishvili warned against urges for independence turning into "isolationism", which would be exploited by "those who have a constant desire for expansion and your subjugation."

Upcoming municipal elections 

The upcoming municipal vote across Georgia - which the president confirmed for October 2 on Monday - will need to prove "exemplary" without accompanying violent acts and rhetoric, abuse of personal data for discrediting opponents or interference with the media, the address said.

"Our population expects such elections and such an election environment from us. I, as the guarantor of democracy, stability and Europeanness in this country, call on them to be involved and active, as our partners expect, and we ask these partners to appoint numerous observation missions, democratic and fair elections must be held in this country. This is what I came for and this is what I’ll be here for," underlined she. 

Zurabishvili urged sceptics of vaccination among the population to reconsider "behaviour [that] is neither a question of personal choice nor of freedom of expression", stressing "[t]rue patriotism" would lie in "courage" of vaccination and "a sense of responsibility as members of society."