President’s impeachment “not a political issue” but Gov’t “setting example” of protecting constitution - PM
The PM also said it was a “purely legal issue” in which the ruling Georgian Dream party was making a “formal response” to the alleged violation. Photo via Government's Press Office
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday said the decision of the ruling Georgian Dream party to launch impeachment proceedings against President Salome Zourabichvili this week over her alleged violation of the constitution through her departure on an official visit abroad without the Government’s authorisation was “not a political issue”.
In his remarks at a press briefing with Josep Borrell, the visiting European Union High Representative, Garibashvili said the Government “needs to be an example of protecting and respecting the country’s constitution”.
We are building a strong, European-type democracy, a legal state where the constitution is protected and respected most of all, as the main law - and who if not the President, the Prime Minister, the Parliament, [and] the Government in general should be an example of both protecting and respecting the constitution?”, he asked.
The PM also said it was a “purely legal issue” in which the ruling Georgian Dream party was making a “formal response” to the alleged violation.
The Prime Minister added his Government was making a point of “respecting and protecting the country's constitution, laws, and its image as a legal state” with the response, even if it did not possess enough voted in the Parliament to successfully impeach the President.
The Government Administration on Wednesday said the Government had rejected requests by Zourabichvili’s office for approval of her official visits to Germany, Ukraine, Switzerland, Poland, Belgium, Denmark, the United Arab Emirates, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Israel.
However, the President on Thursday departed for a visit to Germany anyway, as her Administration said she was starting a series of meetings with European leaders to garner support for Georgia to be granted EU membership candidate status.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Thursday said the series of foreign visits to European cities aimed to fulfil her “highest and foremost” obligation as President - to promote the country's European integration.
The work for gaining the European Union membership candidate status for Georgia, the country’s future and regional matters were discussed on Wednesday in a meeting between the Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili and her French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.
Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker, on Monday accused the country’s President Salome Zourabichvili of having “deliberately violated” the constitution through her departure on official visits abroad without the Government's consent, and said the impeachment procedure initiated by the ruling Georgian Dream party against her should be viewed “more rationally and with less emotion”.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Saturday said violation of the Georgian constitution by the country’s President Salome Zourabichvili, the “person who should be the main guarantor of the constitution”, could not be left without a reaction.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday said his Government was acting by “protecting and taking into account the country’s national interests” over positions taken with regard to the war in Ukraine, in comments at a press conference with Josep Borrell, the visiting European Union High Representative.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Monday said the impeachment procedure against the Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, launched by the Government last week over her alleged violation of the constitution through her departure on an official visit abroad without the Government’s authorisation, was the “only way” to respond to "violations of specific articles of the constitution".
Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Committee on Human Rights, on Tuesday said the ruling team was “forced” to initiate the impeachment procedure against the Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili over her alleged violation of the constitution through her departure on an official visit abroad without the Government’s authorisation.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Saturday said “the only right and European way out” for the country’s President Salome Zourabichvili “is to admit the violation of the constitution and vow that it will not happen again”.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday claimed there was “no connection” between the impeachment procedure initiated against President Salome Zourabichvili by the ruling Georgian Dream party authorities and the country’s aspirations to obtain the European Union membership candidate status later this year.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Thursday said that the country’s President Salome Zourabichvili “has chosen to descend to the level of destructive opposition”, instead of “openly” supporting the Government in the European integration process.
The Constitutional Court of Georgia on Monday concluded President Salome Zourabichvili had violated the country’s Constitution through her visits to Europe in late August and September without the Government's authorisation.