All four Georgian opposition parties that secured seats in the October general elections have denounced the legitimacy of the upcoming presidential elections, set for Saturday.
In a joint statement, the Unity National Movement, Coalition for Change, and Strong Georgia condemned the forthcoming elections, while the Gakharia for Georgia group expressed its stance in a separate message, The Caspian Post reports, citing Georgian media.
Incumbent President Zourabichvili, the last one to have been elected by popular vote, will see her term expire next week.
The country"s sixth President will be chosen by a 300-member electoral college, which includes 150 members of Parliament, all 21 members of the Supreme Council of the autonomous Adjara region, all 20 members of the Supreme Council of the autonomous Abkhazia region, and 109 local authorities.
The electoral college is scheduled to meet in the Georgian Parliament on Saturday to elect the President, with the Central Election Commission overseeing the process.
The opposition"s joint statement claimed the Parliament "lacks the authority" for the election, asserting Zourabichvili remained the President of Georgia, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Georgian Defence Forces, and the nation"s primary representative in foreign relations.
The statement also accused Bidzina Ivanishvili, the Honorary Chair and founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, of executing a "constitutional coup" following the general elections in October, and pointed to "widespread repression, political imprisonment, and human rights violations" against ongoing public rallies protesting the Government"s decision on November 28 to postpone European Union accession talks until 2028.
The opposition parties claimed that about 500 individuals had been imprisoned "on political grounds" after being detained at the rallies, with 400 allegedly subjected to torture and inhumane treatment.
"Instead of the peace promised by propaganda, Ivanishvili has opposed the declared European and democratic choice of Georgian citizens with open repression, terror, and torture," the statement said.
The opposition also condemned attacks on the media, expressing "full support" for journalists, who they said were facing "increasing pressure" amid the rallies, and highlighting their commitment to press freedom.
Gakharia for Georgia also voiced its "strong stance", accusing the ruling party, "in collaboration with the election administration and other state institutions", of "stealing the right to free choice" from the Georgian people and "plunging the country into a severe systemic crisis".
The party reaffirmed its belief that the presidential elections were "illegitimate", arguing they would be held "outside the Constitution under an illegitimate Parliament".
"We will not participate in the illegal process of electing the President and will not recognise actions and decisions taken by the de facto, illegitimate Parliament, including an illegally elected president," Gakharia for Georgia said.
The opposition's statement also called for "two main conditions" to resolve the current crisis - "immediate and unconditional release of those illegally detained during protests" and snap elections under a "parity-staffed election administration and politically neutral state structures".
