Georgia's incumbent president won't stand down nearly a year after disputed election

Updated September 10, 2025 at 11:54 AM PDT

The country of Georgia is now a "weak Democracy" following last year's parliamentary elections that saw a pro-Russian party win a majority of seats and no longer stands for the pro-Western future the small Caucasus region has fought so hard for since independence more than 30 years ago, says incumbent Georgian president Salome Zourabichvili.

"None of the institutions today that exist in Georgia are independent in the sense that they are all dependent on one party, which itself is dependent on one man … probably very linked to Russia," she told Morning Edition in an interview during a trip to Washington D.C. She was in the U.S. capital to garner Congressional support to put pressure on the ruling party, including addressing the Helsinki Commi