Georgian FM: impeachment against President “only way” to respond to "violation of constitution"
In his remarks over the matter, Darchiashvili rejected "any correlation" between the impeachment and the implementation of the European Union conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status. Photo: MFA of Georgia
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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".
In his remarks over the matter, Darchiashvili rejected "any correlation" between the impeachment and the implementation of the European Union conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status.
The matter concerns the [Government's] attitude towards the constitution, because we all know that the constitution clearly and unequivocally describes the functions and duties of the highest officials of the state. Therefore, I would like to emphasise once again that the constitution of Georgia is the supreme law that everyone must respect”, Darchiashvili said.
“Regarding the damage to the European integration process, we focus on the positive, on the steps taken in terms of the 12 recommendations, which our country has implemented, and we are optimistic that Georgia will take another step in the direction of European integration”, the top Georgian diplomat noted.
Zourabichvili on Thursday said the series of her foreign visits to European cities aimed to fulfil her “highest and foremost” obligation as President of promoting the country's European integration.
The visits were launched after the Government Administration last week 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.
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”.
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.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday said the decision of the ruling Georgian Dream party to initiate an impeachment procedure against President Salome Zourabichvili over her alleged violation of the constitution through her departure on an official visit abroad without the Government’s authorisation was “completely justified”.
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”.
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”.