Outgoing President Saakashvili said that he will attend inauguration ceremony of president-elect Giorgi Margvelashvili on November 17 if Georgian Dream coalition shows “respect” towards the state institutions.

Saakashvili, who like ex-president Eduard Shevardnadze will be invited to Margvelashvili’s oath-taking ceremony which will take place in courtyard of Parliament’s old building in Tbilisi center, told journalists on November 6 that the current authorities’ decision not to use glass-domed presidential palace in Avlabari district of Tbilisi, built by the previous authorities, as a residence of new president was disrespect towards state institutions.

“Inauguration is a state institution,” he said when asked about upcoming inauguration. “The presidential palace is also a state institution; state agencies, which we have created, and the constitution are state institutions. So far we have not seen respect [from the government] towards the institutions created by us,” Saakashvili said, adding that GD tried to change the constitution through, as he put it, “twisting arms” of UNM lawmakers.
 
“If the new president, new government show at least now, in these [remaining] days [till the inauguration], respect towards these institutions I will have no reason to reject their offer,” Saakashvili said and added that it won’t be the case if the government continues “rejecting everything outright”.

“So let’s see what will happen tomorrow, day after tomorrow; they change opinions often and my decision will depend on that; that’s all,” Saakashvili said.

A lawmaker from UNM parliamentary minority group, Akaki Minashvili, said on November 6 that GD’s intention is to, as he put it, “destroy” UNM and neither UNM MPs nor the outgoing president should attend the inauguration ceremony.

Saakashvili also told journalists on November 6 that after leaving the office, his immediate plans will be related to academic activity both in Georgia and abroad; he said he is now considering “proposals from several major European and American” universities to launch a research center. He said that he will also “help with advices” his UNM party of which he is a chairman.