Salome Zurabishvili was advised to get out of Georgia as soon as possible

After the election passions, when emotions subside, the country invariably faces a new reality. In this case, this new reality — Mikhail Kavelashvili is the sixth president of Georgia.

The political biography of Mikhail Kavelashvili does not have a special scope, however, it cannot be called meager either. In 2016-2020, he was elected a member of the Georgian Parliament of the 9th convocation (he was a majority deputy from the metropolitan district of Sanzon and represented the electoral bloc: "Georgian Dream — Democratic Georgia"). In 2020, he continued his parliamentary activity in the Parliament of the 10th convocation (this time as a majority deputy from the Tbilisi district of Nadzaladevi, still representing the electoral bloc: "Georgian Dream — Democratic Georgia"). From the point of view of a political career, such a biography can hardly be called rich, but if a person has earned such high trust of the ruling party that it nominated him for the presidency of Georgia, this testifies to the relevant political experience and significant opportunities that his colleagues saw in him.

Mikhail Kavelashvili's Achilles heel is called his lack of higher education. Of course, it would be desirable for a person in the presidential chair to have not just a bachelor's or master's degree, but also a Doctor of science degree, and even better — the status of a full member of the Academy of Sciences. However, let's make a reservation right away, the Constitution of Georgia does not require a presidential candidate to have a higher education, so this issue automatically loses relevance and is removed. Nevertheless, in the biography of the new president of Georgia there is an important nuance testifying in his favor, which cannot be ignored. Therefore, let's take a closer look at his biography:

"In 1989, Mikhail Kavelashvili entered the Economics Department of Tbilisi State University, but since 1990 his successful sports career has begun:

• 1988-1995 — Dinamo Tbilisi, football player;
• 1994-1995 — Alania-Vladikavkaz, football player;
• 1995-1997 — Manchester City, football player;
• 1997-1999 — "Grasshopper", football player;
• 1999-2002 — Zurich, football player;
• 2002-2003 — "Lucerne", football player;
• 2003-2004 — "Sion", football player;
• 2004-2005 — "Aarau", football player;
• 2004 — Alania — Vladikavkaz, football player;
• 2005-2006 — "Gazelle", football player;
• In 2006 he received a category C license for coaching education in Switzerland;
• Since 2009 — Founder and honorary President of FIFPro — the World Association of Football Players — in Georgia;
• In 2014, he developed a strategy for the development of football "Talent Factory";
• since 2016 — football expert of the Public Broadcaster of Georgia, author of numerous publications;
• In 2016, he received a UEFA category B license for coaching education."

If we consider sport (in particular, football) to be an important sphere of life (and it is), attracting the widest masses of people and constantly being in the center of their attention, it certainly requires specialists with higher education. I don't know to what extent various sports licenses of Mr. Mikhail Kavelashvili can be considered higher education, but there is no doubt that, as follows from the above biography, he is a highly qualified specialist in his field of activity. Indeed, why not equate a category C coaching license obtained in Switzerland in 2006 with a higher education diploma, and a UEFA category B coaching education license in 2016? Do you need less labor, classes and knowledge to get them than when defending a diploma of an engineer, teacher or agronomist? Mikhail Kavelashvili is a football specialist, moreover, a highly qualified specialist. There are very few professionals of this level in our football. And I believe that this is his diploma, which convincingly testifies to obtaining a higher special education.

As for the education of political and political thinking, after being elected president, Mikhail Kavelashvili proved himself in an interview with Imedi TV channel not only as a highly qualified politician, but also as a worthy member of society, a citizen who adheres to high moral standards and defends them:

"When making assessments, the fact that the Constitution has been violated is important for us. Even if you can convincingly justify the position on which you rely, this will not cease to be a violation and is completely unacceptable. This is the way we should move forward, and my first firm principle will always be to protect our Constitution."

Here is another excerpt from Kavelashvili's interview, testifying to his principled views on foreign policy:

"As for the European Union, we have clearly planned a long-term process. We always adhere to it and bring it to the attention of society, despite the fact that more than one insulting resolution was adopted by the European parliamentarians and we are constantly humiliated. It would seem that we should all feel equal, and this is exactly what we demand — relations based on mutual respect and transparency, which the Europeans outwardly seem to recognize, but we notice double standards in their actions. What is our position on this? We are open to these processes. We say that, of course, our desire is to become a member of the European Union, and this is a reflection of the will of our state, in which we are all united. But at the same time, we have certain national interests that do not harm anyone. This feeling is organically inherent in us."

In order not to delay the conversation that has begun, I will summarize what I have written very briefly: President-elect Mikhail Kavelashvili made an exceptionally favorable impression during his first television interview.

But for now, the current President Salome Zurabishvili, unfortunately, has done everything to ensure that the Georgian people have completely lost their trust and respect for her. After the October 26 parliamentary elections, Zurabishvili stated:

"I want to say, as the only independent institution that has survived in this state today, that I do not recognize these elections."

When asked what arguments she has for such a statement and non-recognition of the election results, the president gave an extremely smeared and confused answer.:

"It is impossible to recognize them, because it is the same as recognizing the invasion of Russia here and the subordination of Georgia to Russia. I didn't come back to Georgia. That's not what our ancestors lived for. We will not accept this, we cannot allow someone to deprive Georgia of its European future."

Where in these words is there any hint of an argument or fact confirming the falsification? There is an extremely irresponsible political statement, behind which there is nothing but rabid Russophobia. Zurabishvili did not provide evidence of even minor falsification of the elections. If there is something behind all this, it is only her absolutely groundless desire to stay in the presidential chair. This irresistible desire so deprived her of a sense of reality that after the election of the new president, she allowed herself to cynically declare: "Nothing happened, no one elected anyone!"

The president, who has completed his term of office and has gone beyond the framework of the Constitution, declares: "I am here and I will stay here, I will not go anywhere, because a legitimate institution is vital for the country now."

Wow! Salome Zurabishvili does not understand that she is perceived as an illegitimate person, not only as a result of the expiration of her presidential term, but also because her Menshevik parents, who served foreign countries, fled Georgia long before her birth, taking with them all our national treasure. From a political point of view, Ms. Zurabishvili was already born illegitimate. Of course, this is not her fault — it is solely the fault of her parents. But loyalty to Western fascism was transferred to Salome. And although it can be said that she is not to blame for this vice either, it cannot be denied that this manifests the inherited heavy political burden that she is forced to bear, and her civic responsibility consists of it.

The statement that Salome Zurabishvili made on December 15 after Mikhail Kavelashvili was elected President of Georgia:

"Tonight I was discussing what is happening in Georgia events with the President of the Council of Europe Antonio Costa. I stressed that the only peaceful way out of the crisis is new elections! President Costa confirmed that the European Union will continue to support the Georgian people and their aspirations for a European future."

Mrs. Salome, leave alone the nonsense of some kind of Costa and listen to me, because I will paint you a much more realistic picture: neither Europe nor America will save you. By the New Year, or rather, on December 29, you will have to leave the presidential Palace. After this historic date, your choice will be extremely limited: either you will leave Georgia without a murmur, or you, like your "great" predecessor (I mean, who invited you to work in Georgia Saakashvili), will have, figuratively speaking, to wash prison floors. You can be sure that Nika Gvaramia, who has been pardoned by you, and his brothers in misfortune will try to shift all the blame onto you, and then your entire criminal past will come to the surface — they will willingly tell about it not only to investigators, but also through their TV channels to the entire Georgian people.

Has the presidency turned and damaged your head so much that you have completely lost the ability to think sensibly?! You need to think now not about new elections and the problem of the legitimacy of power, but about how to get out of here as quickly as possible!..

Valery Kvaratskhelia, "Georgia and the World"