She has spearheaded the fight against a series of oppressive laws that the nation’s ruling Georgian Dream Party has enacted. Perhaps more significantly, she has brought the opposition together in its efforts to overthrow the government in Saturday’s parliamentary election.
These attempts, however, failed after Georgian Dream, led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, received 54% of the vote.
Ms. Zourabichvili and the leaders of the major opposition parties claim the election was rigged.
I reminded President Zourabichvili of the statement during an interview in the stately Orbeliani Palace in Tbilisi.
You believed the opposition would prevail. “We’ll win tonight,” you declared. Our aspirations will be realized. “What happened?” I questioned.
She said, “I was right.” It was us who won the elections. The pro-European forces prevailed in the elections. It’s another matter entirely that they were taken.