Only right, European “way out” for President is “to admit violation of constitution, say it won’t happen again” - Parliament Speaker
If the Constitutional Court of Georgia determines the violation of the constitution, it will be “a [political] verdict against the President”, he noted, stressing after that the impeachment process would “not be so important”. Photo via Parliament of Georgia
Tweet 
Share
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”.
Papuashvili told the Public Broadcaster that the President’s alleged violation of the constitution through her departure on an official visit abroad without the Government’s authorisation was not an “unintentional step” but a “deliberate and gross” violation of the constitution.
The President herself confirmed that she violated the constitution and said she used her own funds to make the visits, Papuashvili stressed, adding “if the constitution is violated, are we a state or not, do we respect the rules that the people have established in the constitution, when we talk about membership of the European family, how should we be accepted [...] if we don’t respect even our basic law”.
If we don’t respect our constitution, others will think that it [constitution] is just a paper”, he emphasised.
If the Constitutional Court of Georgia determines the violation of the constitution, it will be “a [political] verdict against the President”, he noted, stressing after that the impeachment process would “not be so important”.
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".
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.
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”.
Merab Turava, the Chair of the Constitutional Court of Georgia, on Thursday urged political actors, “particular organisations” and individuals to refrain from making “preliminary assessments” on the Court’s forthcoming decision over the ongoing impeachment procedures against President Salome Zourabichvili.
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.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Monday said she had “no plans to resign”, in response to the ruling by the country’s Constitutional Court earlier during the day which backed her impeachment initiated by the ruling Georgian Dream party last month for her recent foreign visits without the Government's authorisation.