President Zourabichvili avoids questions about church's election stance
President Zourabichvili avoids questions about church's election stance

President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili held a press conference at the Presidential Palace, where she answered questions from various media representatives, though she left several significant questions unanswered.

Specifically, Zourabichvili declined to respond to questions concerning the Patriarchate’s position on the elections, the creation of a coordination platform at the Presidential Palace on election day, and the matter of pardoning Saakashvili.

The unanswered questions were:

“Recently, the Georgian Orthodox Church released a statement emphasizing its commitment to support elections that foster enduring peace in Georgia and promote values essential to reinforcing Christian and family traditions. By expressing this sentiment, the Patriarchate has implicitly endorsed the Georgian Dream’s initiative.”

“You previously announced plans to establish a headquarters at the Presidential Palace on October 26, election day, to monitor the elections and celebrate a potential victory. If Georgian Dream claims victory, what exactly will you be celebrating alongside the opposition?”

“You recently criticized our colleague for lacking an understanding of democracy, stating that true democracy involves a willingness to compromise. As the President of Georgia, if you truly grasp the essence of democracy, why did you choose not to compromise by pardoning the former president, Mikheil Saakashvili, who has been convicted?”

Once the journalist finished posing these questions, Zourabichvili replied, “If there’s a fifth question, I’ll answer that one.”