Vote on impeaching Georgian president fails in parliament: Reports

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - A vote Wednesday in parliament on the impeachment of incumbent Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has failed, according to media reports.

A total of 86 of 90 lawmakers registered in the plenary session, voted to impeach Zourabichvili while one voted against her removal, said Georgian television channel 1TV.

The 150-member parliament needed support from 100 lawmakers, or a two-thirds majority, to impeach Zourabichvili.

The report said part of the opposition boycotted the plenary sitting and was not present at the vote, including the United National Movement (UNM) party founded by former President Mikheil Saakashvili.

Georgia’s Constitutional Court granted a request Monday to initiate impeachment proceedings against Zourabichvili after concluding she violated the constitution by conducting recent foreign travel without government approval.

Irakli Kobakhidze, head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, announced the initiation of impeachment proceedings, citing Zourabichvili’s visits to Berlin, Brussels and Paris.

The government had previously denied Zourabichvili's trips from August to December.

Zourabichvili said her trip aimed to strengthen Georgia’s position as an EU candidate country.​​​​​​​