Former footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili was officially inaugurated as Georgia’s president on Sunday, strengthening the ruling party’s hand in what the opposition says is a blow to the country’s European Union aspirations and a victory for former imperial ruler Russia.
Georgia’s outgoing pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili said Sunday morning that she would vacate her residence in the Orbeliani Palace in Tbilisi, but insisted that she was still the legitimate holder of the position.
“I will get out of here and come out to you and be with you. … This presidential residence has been a symbol as long as there has been a legitimate president here. I bring legitimacy with me,” Zurabishvili told a crowd of her supporters outside the palace.
She described Kavelashvili’s inauguration as a “parody”.
Kavelashvili, 53, who was the only candidate on the ballot, easily won the vote earlier in December due to the Georgian Dream party’s control of a 300-seat electoral body that replaced direct presidential elections in 2017. The body is made up of members of parliament, assemblies Municipal and regional legislative bodies.
In his speech Sunday, Kavelashvili promised to be “a president for everyone, regardless of whether they like me or not.” He called on the nation to unite behind him around “shared values, principles of mutual respect and the future we must build together.”
Georgian Dream retained control of parliament in the South Caucasus country in elections held on October 26, which the opposition says were rigged with Moscow’s help. The party has pledged to continue pushing for EU accession, but also wants to “reset” relations with Russia.
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The outgoing Georgian president and the main pro-Western parties boycotted the parliamentary sessions that followed the elections and demanded a rerun of the elections.
In 2008, Russia fought a short war with Georgia, which led to Moscow recognizing the independence of the two breakaway regions, and increasing Russia’s military presence in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Critics have accused Georgian Dream – founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, an enigmatic billionaire who made his fortune in Russia – of becoming increasingly authoritarian and leaning towards Moscow, accusations the ruling party denies. The party recently passed laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to suppress free speech and LGBTQ2 rights.
The Georgian Dream Party’s decision last month to suspend talks on their country’s efforts to join the European Union increased opposition anger and sparked protests.
The demonstrators in front of the Parliament building on Sunday carried red cards, referring to Kavelashvili’s football career.
“Because today our president is a footballer, we showed him the red card. The next step will be to kick him off the field. The Georgian people will definitely do that, because it was a circus they held today in Parliament,” said demonstrator Sofia Shamanidi. Associated Press.
The outgoing president demands new elections
Zurabishvili (72 years old) was born in France to parents of Georgian origins, and enjoyed a successful career in the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs before President Mikheil Saakashvili appointed her to head Georgian diplomacy in 2004.
Constitutional changes made the job of president largely ceremonial before Zurabishvili was elected in a popular vote with the support of the Georgian Dream Party in 2018. She became highly critical of the ruling party, accusing it of pro-Russian policies, and the Georgian Dream Party unsuccessfully tried to remove her.
Zurabishvili rejected government claims that the opposition was inciting violence.
“We are not calling for a revolution,” she said. Associated Press. “We demand new elections, but under conditions that ensure that the will of the people is not distorted or stolen again.
Who is the new president?
The Georgian opposition mocked Kavelashvili for his lack of higher education.
He was a striker in the English Premier League with Manchester City and played for several clubs in the Swiss Super League. He was elected to parliament in 2016 for the Georgian Dream party, and in 2022 he co-founded the People Power political movement, which was allied with Georgian Dream and became known for its strong anti-Western rhetoric.
Kavelashvili was one of the authors of a controversial law requiring organizations that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as “seeking the interests of a foreign power,” 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 meets the bloc’s recommendations, suspended its accession and cut financial support in June after approving a “foreign influence” law.
How did the protests develop?
Thousands of demonstrators gather in front of the Parliament building every night after the government announced the suspension of EU accession talks on November 28.
Riot police used water cannons and tear gas on an almost daily basis to disperse and beat dozens of demonstrators, some of whom threw fireworks at police officers and set up barricades on the capital’s central street. Hundreds were arrested and more than 100 were treated for their injuries.
Several journalists were beaten by police, and media workers accused the authorities of using thugs to deter people from attending anti-government rallies, something Georgian Dream denies. The campaign sparked strong condemnation from the United States and European Union officials.
& Edition 2024 The Canadian Press
