Georgia's ruling party elects Mikheil Kavelashvili as the country's sixth president
Mikheil Kavelashvili elected president
At midday on 14 December, the voting process in the electoral college for Georgia’s presidential election concluded. There was only one candidate—Mikheil Kavelashvili, personally nominated by Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party and an oligarch. He received 224 out of 225 votes from members of the college, all of whom represented the ruling team.
The sole vote Kavelashvili did not receive came from MP Ada Marshania. She stated that she would not support him and believed the ruling team had “chosen the wrong candidate.”
Thus, Mikheil Kavelashvili became Georgia’s sixth president.
There is a significant issue with these elections in Georgia. For the first time, the president was not chosen through a nationwide vote but by a special electoral college. By law, this college consists of 300 members, 150 of whom are parliamentary deputies. However, all four opposition groups (three alliances and the “Gakharia – For Georgia” party) that entered parliament in the 26 October elections declared that the elections were rigged, the parliament illegitimate, and therefore incapable of making any decisions, including electing the president.
The opposition, along with Salome Zourabichvili herself, asserts that until new parliamentary elections are held, she remains the legitimate president of Georgia and, in fact, the only legitimate institution in the country. She continues to serve as the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces and the nation’s highest representative in foreign relations.
For over two weeks, mass protests have been ongoing in Tbilisi and other Georgian cities. People are demonstrating against the government’s decision to halt Georgia’s European integration process until 2028 and are demanding new parliamentary elections.
Who is Mikheil Kavelashvili?
Kavelashvili is a former footballer who played at various times for the Alania team in Vladikavkaz (North Ossetia, Russia), Dinamo Tbilisi, Manchester City, and several other European clubs.
Kavelashvili was a deputy in the previous parliament and a member of the political movement “People’s Power.” This political force was founded by loyal deputies from the Georgian Dream party and is known for its particularly harsh anti-Western rhetoric.
In Georgian society and media, there is particular outrage that a person without higher education and with a career limited to professional football has become president.
“Georgia hasn’t had such a patriotic and mentally balanced president in 30 years,” said Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze from the ruling party, congratulating Kavelashvili.
Mikheil Kavelashvili was present in the hall when the election results were announced but chose not to make any remarks.
Mikheil Kavelashvili elected president
