Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party has installed far-right loyalist Mikheil Kavelashvili as president through a controversial election process, deepening the country’s political turmoil.
For the first time in Georgia, a president has been elected through a non-traditional process. Instead of citizens voting directly, members of an electoral college—dominated by the pro-Russian Georgian Dream party—chose the president.
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The Georgian Dream abolished direct presidential elections in 2017.
Kavelashvili was the only candidate for the largely ceremonial role and secured 224 votes, with one ballot declared invalid. According to Central Election Commission chair Giorgi Kalandarishvili, he will serve as the country's figurehead leader for a five-year term.
In this video, the ruling Georgian Dream party applauds Kavelashvili, who was declared the winner of the presidential election.
“Kavelashvili, 53—the sole candidate for the largely ceremonial presidential post— is known for his vehement anti-West diatribes and opposition to LGBTQ rights,” as per AFP’s report.
Kavelashvili, a prominent member of the Power of the People group, which formally split from Georgian Dream, has been a parliamentarian in Georgia’s 9th and 10th convocations. He entered the current parliament following the Oct. 26 elections and placed 18th on Georgian Dream’s list.
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A former footballer, Kavelashvili played for Lokomotiv Tbilisi, Spartak-Alania in Russia, Manchester City, Swiss clubs, and the Georgian national team. His inauguration is set for Dec. 29.
Outgoing President Salome Zurabishvili, a pro-Western figure at odds with the ruling party, has refused to leave office, calling the election “illegitimate” and demanding new parliamentary polls.
On Saturday, Dec. 14, protesters gathered outside the parliament in Tbilisi, playing football in the snow—a pointed jab at Kavelashvili, a former footballer. Zurabishvili posted a video of the scene with the caption: “Georgia never loses its sense of humor.”
Salome Zurabishvili also attended a protest in Tbilisi today, marking her first statement since Mikheil Kavelashvili was announced as Georgia's new president, according to Echo of the Caucasus media outlet.
Zurabishvili addressed the march of mothers whose relatives were detained by Georgian security forces, expressing gratitude to the protesters who do not recognize the legitimacy of the parliamentary presidential elections.
“There is nothing. Nobody elected anyone. Nothing happened,” the president stated.
Zurabishvili’s refusal to vacate her post ahead of Kavelashvili’s inauguration on Dec. 29 sets the stage for a constitutional showdown.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Zourabichvili in Paris on Dec. 7 to discuss the escalating political crisis in Georgia. Zelensky reaffirmed Ukraine’s support for the Georgian people, who are outraged by their government’s decision to delay European Union accession talks until 2028.
Zourabichvili expressed gratitude for Ukraine’s recent sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, and 18 associates, including high-ranking officials such as Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. The sanctions target those accused of steering Georgia closer to Russia and away from European integration.
Public anger erupted after Kobakhidze announced on Nov. 28 that Georgia, despite its EU candidate status, would not seek to open accession talks. The announcement has triggered mass protests, with tens of thousands gathering in the streets, met by riot police using tear gas and water cannons.
Kobakhidze dismissed the protesters as “violent groups” controlled by the opposition, though the demonstrations have largely remained peaceful. Using rhetoric reminiscent of the Kremlin, he accused the protesters of staging a failed revolution and threatened action against so-called “liberal fascists.”
Thousands of pro-EU demonstrators filled the streets of Tbilisi on Friday, Dec. 13, continuing their protests outside parliament for the 16th consecutive day.
Over the past two weeks, police have used tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds, while more than 400 protesters have been arrested, according to the Social Justice Centre. Amnesty International reported on Dec. 13 that protesters had been subjected to “brutal dispersal tactics, arbitrary detention, and torture.”
In addition, opposition party offices have been raided, and several leaders have been arrested.
The US has also imposed new sanctions on around 20 Georgian officials, including ministers and parliamentarians, accusing them of “undermining democracy in Georgia.”
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