Citing the separation of powers, the Georgian Dream said on May 6 that it had filed a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court against President Salome Zourabichvili over ambassadorial (non)appointments. According to the statement, "the Government of Georgia believes that the President of Georgia's rejection of nominations for the appointment and expulsion of ambassadors does not fall within its constitutional authority as only the government has the right to choose which ambassador or diplomatic mission chief will best serve the nation's foreign policy goals."
The Georgian Young Lawyers Association, a major local watchdog, has already condemned the change proposal as an "attempt at political revenge" against the President.
Midway through April, the Georgian Parliament cleared the way for the government to launch a competency challenge against President Salome Zourabichvili. The revisions contained a clause that permits any state entity to file a competence claim against another state institution before the Constitutional Court based on the latter's "action or inaction." The previous view permitted substantial dispute over the conformance of the defendant's normative behavior. Late in March, after receiving criticism from the opposition and civil society organizations, the governing party revealed the adjustments but delayed their adoption for two weeks, as the measure was approved after two hearings on April 12 and 13.
As Caucasus Watch reported at the beginning of April, Georgia's government and President Salome Zourabichvili made contradictory statements about whether the President had vetoed or obstructed ambassadorial nominations. The Government Administration, citing the Presidential Administration, rejected media claims on March 29 that President Zourabichvili had approved all ambassadorial nominees the previous year. "Unfortunately, this information does not accurately represent the current situation. In recent months, the President has regularly rejected or left unresolved issues about persons presented by the Georgian government as ambassadors or heads of missions," according to the government's press service. President Salome Zourabichvili responded on Facebook, "Accusing the President of Georgia or her government of lying, which lacks decency and any basis, creates unwelcome friction in society at a time when far more important matters are being settled around us." The Georgian Presidential Government claimed that between January 1, 2021 and March 21, 2022, the administration headed by Georgian Dream nominated twelve candidates for Ambassador or Head of Mission, all of whom were accepted by the President.
