Georgian electoral college chooses anti-Western former footballer as new president
Georgia's electoral college has chosen Mikheil Kavelashvili as the country's president. The former Manchester City footballer is a member of the anti-Western ruling Georgian Dream party and was the only candidate. Protests are expected against the decision.
Kavelashvili, 53, is due to take over from pro-European president Salome Zourabichvili at the end of December. He was elected to parliament in 2016 and is known for his anti-Western stance. He has repeatedly claimed that Western intelligence services want to plunge Georgia into war with Russia.
The pro-European opposition - which has been demonstrating for days against the ruling party and the government's decision to shelve EU accession talks - said beforehand that it would not recognise the vote. The opposition says Zourabichvili remains the legitimate president.
Parliamentary boyott
The opposition and Zourabichvili also refuse to recognise the official results of the parliamentary elections held at the end of October, saying they were rigged. They are boycotting parliament. Zourabichvili had already announced that she would not be leaving office. However, the inauguration of the new president is scheduled for 29 December.
Previously, the head of state was directly elected. But Georgian Dream changed the constitution in 2017 so that a body of MPs and regional representatives now appoints the president. The ruling party has a majority in this body.
In Tbilisi and elsewhere in Georgia, people have been taking to the streets for days, unhappy with the decision by the pro-Russian government of prime minister Irakli Kvastadze to suspend accession negotiations with the EU until 2028. The demonstrations have regularly turned violent.
Mikheil Kavelashvili © PHOTO VANO SHLAMOV / AFP
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