Kavelashvili was sworn in as Georgia’s president and made the country’s path to the EU difficult – National
Former soccer player Mikheil Kavelashvili was officially sworn in as Georgia’s president on Sunday, consolidating control of the ruling party in what the opposition called a blow to the country’s European Union aspirations and a victory for former imperial ruler Russia.
Georgia’s pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili said Sunday morning that she will vacate her Orbeliani Palace residence in Tbilisi, but she remains the legal holder of the office.
“I will come out here, I will come out to you and I will be with you. …This presidential residence was a symbol until the time when there was a legitimate president. I bring legitimacy with me,” Zurabishvili told his supporters gathered in front of the palace.
He called Kavelashvili’s swearing-in ceremony a “parody”.
Kavelashvili, 53, the only candidate on the ballot, easily won the vote in early December given his Georgian Dream party’s control of the 300-seat electoral college that replaced the 2017 direct presidential election. It consists of members of parliament. municipal councils and regional legislatures.
In his speech on Sunday, Kavelashvili promised “to be the president of everyone, regardless of whether he likes me or not.” He called on the nation to unite behind him around “common values, principles of mutual respect and the future we must build together.”
“Georgian Dream” retained control of the parliament in the South Caucasus country in the October 26 elections, which the opposition claimed were rigged with the help of Moscow. The party has promised to continue its efforts towards membership of the European Union, and at the same time wants to “re-establish” relations with Russia.
The outgoing president of Georgia and the main pro-Western parties boycotted the post-election sessions of the parliament and demanded a re-run of the vote.
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In 2008, Russia fought a brief war with Georgia that led Moscow to recognize the two separatist regions as independent and increase Russian military presence in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Critics accuse Georgian Dream, founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadowy billionaire who made his fortune in Russia, of becoming increasingly authoritarian and leaning toward Moscow, charges the ruling party denies. The party has recently pushed laws similar to those the Kremlin has used to crack down on free speech and LGBTQ2 rights.
The decision of “Georgian Arzusu” last month to stop the negotiations regarding their country’s membership in the EU caused the anger of the opposition and heated protests.
On Sunday, in front of the parliament building, protesters pointed to Kavelashvili’s football career and picked up a red card.
“Today, because our president is a football player, we show him a red card. The next step will be to remove him from the field. The Georgian people will definitely do it, because this was the circus they held today in the parliament,” protester Sofia Shamanidi said. Associated Press.
The deceased president demands new elections
Zurabishvili, 72, was born in France to parents of Georgian descent and had a successful career at the French Foreign Ministry before President Mikheil Saakashvili appointed him Georgia’s top diplomat in 2004.
Before Zurabishvili was elected in a popular vote with the support of Georgian Dream in 2018, the constitutional changes solemnized the president’s job. He sharply criticized the ruling party, accusing it of pro-Russian politics, and Georgian Dream tried unsuccessfully to impeach him.
Zurabishvili rejected the government’s allegations that the opposition incited the violence.
“We are not asking for a revolution,” he said Associated Press. “We want new elections to be held, but under conditions that will ensure that the will of the people is not distorted or stolen again.
Who is the new president?
The Georgian opposition mocked Kavelashvili for not having a higher education.
He was a striker for “Manchester City” in the English Premier League and played for several clubs in the Swiss Super League. He was elected to parliament on the Georgian Dream ticket in 2016, and in 2022 he co-founded the People Power political movement, which is allied with Georgian Dream and is known for its strong anti-Western rhetoric.
Kavelashvili co-authored a controversial law requiring organizations that get more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “foreign power interests,” similar to a Russian law used to discredit critical organizations.
The EU, which granted Georgia candidate status in December 2023 on the condition that the country fulfills the bloc’s recommendations, suspended its membership and cut off financial support in June after the approval of the “external influence” law.
How did the protests happen?
Thousands of demonstrators have gathered at the parliament building every night since the government announced on November 28 that it was suspending EU membership talks.
Riot police used water cannons and tear gas almost daily to disperse and beat large numbers of protesters, some of whom threw fireworks at police officers and set up barricades on the capital’s central boulevard. Hundreds of people were detained, and more than 100 were injured.
Several journalists were beaten by police and media workers, who accused the authorities of using thugs to discourage people from attending anti-government rallies, which Georgian Dream denies. The crackdown was sharply condemned by US and EU officials.
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