Sanctions are truly working and weakening the "autocratic, pro-Russian regime," and they must continue, - Georgia's fifth president, Salome Zourabichvili stated during a panel discussion at the Hudson Institute.
"The policy of non-recognition, non-recognition of the illegitimate government, parliament, and de facto president is key for pressure. Sanctions exert various types of pressure on their side because they are exerting pressure not only on the leaders of the 'Georgian Dream' but also on those in the first circle around them.
As with all similar autocratic regimes, they are already an autocratic, one-party regime, dependent on this first circle around them—businessmen with privileges and institutions they control and have in their hands. So, sanctions are truly working in this regard and weakening this autocratic, pro-Russian regime.
So, all of this must continue, but you really must help us in the pursuit of new elections and their holding because there is no other known way out of such a deep crisis as we have in Georgia now. The only way is through new elections.
New elections will be held, I am sure of that, because there is no country that still has a living civil society but would be under autocratic, one-man, one-party rule and could resist for long when it is completely detached from its people, as we see. It has been 42 days now that the people of Georgia are in the streets, and there is no sign of weakening in the protest, which is massive, nationwide, and reaches all generations and segments of society," Zourabichvili said.
