I Will Be Imprisoned If This Happens: President of Georgia

The President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, has stated that she may end up in prison if the ruling "Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia" party wins the parliamentary elections on October 26. "I will probably be impeached and imprisoned if that happens," Zourabichvili said during a press conference in response to a question regarding what could occur if the ruling party proceeds with its plan to ban and prosecute the opposition.

At the same time, Zourabichvili emphasized throughout the press conference that she does not wish to discuss the likelihood of a defeat for the opposition. According to her, opposition parties could successfully unite their efforts to defeat the "Georgian Dream" and form a coalition government if citizens demonstrate high voter turnout.

The parliamentary elections in Georgia are scheduled for October 26. The ruling party has repeatedly stated that it aims not just to win, but to achieve a constitutional majority, which would enable it to declare the previous president Mikheil Saakashvili's "United National Movement" party and several other significant opposition parties unconstitutional. Additionally, the "Georgian Dream" intends to condemn the opposition for actions taken during Saakashvili's governance until 2012.

Earlier, the "Georgian Dream" announced that it would resume the impeachment process against Zourabichvili, as she had continued to undertake foreign visits without the government's approval following the initial attempt at impeachment last year, which contradicts the Constitution. The ruling party plans to file a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court before the elections, and to remove Zourabichvili after the formation of the new parliament.

Despite the fact that Zourabichvili's term will expire this year, the "Georgian Dream" regards the matter of terminating her powers through impeachment as a principle issue.