NOT STEPPING DOWN: Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili vowed to stay on after her term expires, saying that she is the only legitimate leader, while calling for a new election
AP and AFP, TBILISI
Former soccer player Mikheil Kavelashvili on Saturday became president of Georgia, as the ruling party tightened its grip in what the opposition calls a blow to the country’s EU aspirations and a victory for former imperial ruler Russia.
Kavelashvili, 53, who was the only candidate on the ballot, easily won the vote given the Georgian Dream party’s control of a 300-seat electoral college that replaced direct presidential elections in 2017. It is made up of members of the Georgian Parliament, municipal councils and regional legislatures.
Picked by the Georgian Dream as a loyalist, the former forward for English Premier League champions Manchester City is known for his expletive-laden parliament speeches and tirades against government critics and LGBTQ people.
Demonstrators hold portraits of activists injured during protests as they participate in an anti-government rally outside the Georgian Parliament Building in Tbilisi on Saturday.
Photo: AP
Georgian Dream retained control of Parliament in the South Caucasus nation in an Oct. 26 election that the opposition alleged was rigged with Moscow’s help. The party has vowed to continue pushing toward EU accession, but also wants to “reset” ties with Russia.
Georgia’s outgoing president and main pro-Western parties have boycotted the post-election parliamentary sessions and demanded a rerun of the ballot.
Kavelashvili is set to be inaugurated on Dec. 29, amid ongoing social upheaval as thousands of anti-government protesters have flooded Tbilisi for weeks, furious at the Georgian Dream for shelving EU accession talks.
Georgian president-elect Mikheil Kavelashvili speaks with lawmakers in the Georgian Parliament in Tbilisi on Saturday.
Photo: Reuters
Protesters have described Kavelashvili as a “puppet” of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgian Dream’s founder, who in turn has called him “the embodiment of a Georgian man.”
“I can hardly imagine anyone less suited for the role of head of state,” said one protester, historian Nika Gobronidze, 53.
He said that Ivanishvili, the businessman widely believed to be pulling the strings in Georgian politics, chose Kavelashvili as a tool he could control.
“Caligula wanted his horse to be a consul, our oligarch wants his puppet Kavelashvili to be a president,” he said, referring to the notorious Roman emperor.
Critics have accused Georgian Dream of becoming increasingly authoritarian and tilted toward Moscow, accusations the ruling party has denied. The party recently pushed through laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on freedom of speech and LGBTQ+ rights.
Pro-Western Salome Zourabichvili, who has been president since 2018, has vowed to stay on after her six-year term ends on Dec. 29, describing herself as the only legitimate leader until a new election is held.
“I remain your president — there is no legitimate parliament and thus no legitimate election or inauguration,” she wrote on social media. “My mandate continues.”
Georgian Dream’s decision last month to suspend talks on the country’s bid to join the EU added to the opposition’s outrage and galvanized protests.
Thousands of demonstrators converged on the Georgian Parliament Building every night after the government announced the suspension of EU accession talks on Nov. 28.
Riot police used water cannons and tear gas almost daily to disperse and beat scores of protesters, some of whom threw fireworks at police officers and built barricades on the capital’s central boulevard. Hundreds were detained and more than 100 treated for injuries.
Demonstrators vowed the rallies would continue.
“If [the government] wants to go to Russia, they can go to Russia, because we are not going anywhere. We are staying here,” protester Kato Kalatozishvili said.
