Georgia’s Constitutional Court allows parliament to start impeachment of President Zourabichvili for unauthorized EU trip
The Constitutional Court of Georgia has declared President Salome Zourabichvili's working tour of Europe without the government's permission a violation of the Constitution, and allowed impeachment procedures to begin, Radio Liberty’s Ekho Kavkaza reported on Oct. 16.
Six members of the Constitutional Court supported the constitutional appeal for impeachment put forward by members of the Georgian parliament. Three were against it.
Now the legislature has two weeks to consider and put to a vote the issue of Zourabichvili's impeachment. This requires 100 votes of lawmakers.
The publication notes that the parliament is unlikely to support the president's removal from office, as the ruling Georgian Dream party may not have enough votes, and opposition members have vowed to vote against it.
Before the decision, the Constitutional Court held a hearing on the case.
Zourabichvili was not present at the hearing; her interests were represented in court by former Georgian Dream MP Tamar Chugoshvili and former Georgian Constitutional Court judge Maya Kopaleishvili. The defense pointed out that according to Article 49 of the Constitution, the President of Georgia represents Georgia in foreign relations.
The document also states that "the constitutional bodies shall take all measures within their powers to ensure Georgia's full integration into the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization" (Article 78).
Zourabichvili began a tour of Europe on Aug. 31, during which she planned to meet with European leaders to support Georgia's EU candidate status. The first country she visited was Germany. She also visited France and Estonia.
She plans to visit other countries, including Israel and the UAE, during the fall and winter.
Zourabichvili said that she wanted to visit Ukraine on its Independence Day on Aug. 24, but the government did not allow her to. According to the leader of Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party, Irakli Kobakhidze, the refusal to go on tour is "justified both legally and politically."
He also initiated an appeal to the Constitutional Court of Georgia to impeach Zourabichvili.
The head of state herself has criticized the government for its rapprochement with Russia amid the Kremlin's invasion of Ukraine.
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