Georgia’s pro-Western president has said she will stay in post until new parliamentary elections are held, as protests continue over the government’s decision to put EU accession negotiations on hold.
Speaking to the BBC, Salome Zourabichvili, who has sided with the opposition, claimed the current parliament is “illegitimate” after allegations of fraud in last month’s elections.
Zourabichvili said she will retain her role as president, despite the country’s newly elected parliament saying it would choose her replacement on 14 December.
Mass protests in the capital are continuing to erupt for a third consecutive night on Saturday in the capital Tbilisi.
Protests are also taking place in the cities of Batumi, Kutaisi, Zugdidi, and other Georgian regions.
“I’m offering this stability for the transition, because what these people on the streets are demanding is a call for new elections in order to restore this country and its European path,” said Zourabichvili.
Hundreds of civil servants have signed letters expressing their disapproval of the government’s decision to put negotiations with the EU on hold, saying it went against the national interests of Georgia.
Georgian ambassadors to Bulgaria, Netherlands and Italy have also resigned.
