"The constitution says my mandate continues until a new president is elected," Georgia's fifth president, Salome Zurabishvili, said in an interview with France 24.

When asked whether she recognizes the legitimacy of the Georgian Parliament and the inauguration of Mikheil Kavelashvili, the fifth President of Georgia replied that not only she, but also the Georgian people who have taken to the streets do not recognize them.

According to her, her mandate does not stop at a specific date.

Insisting that Mr. Kavelashvili does not have a popular mandate, Zourabichvili states, “I was elected by the people, unlike this president. He was elected by a college that is composed by the parliament and by other institutions which are all controlled by (ruling party) Georgian Dream. So it’s basically a president elected by one party. And my mandate does not stop at a specific date. The constitution says my mandate continues until a new president is elected. That means a legitimate president. So I’m waiting. As soon as we have new elections and the new president is elected, I’m happy to defer.”