Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former footballer with anti-Western views, was elected president of Georgia as the ruling party tightens its grip in what the opposition calls a blow to the country's EU aspirations and a victory for Russia.
Kavelashvili easily won Saturday's election in a 300-seat electoral college where the Georgian Dream party dominates. The college replaced direct presidential elections in 2017. In public speeches this year, Mr. Kavelashvili has repeatedly claimed that Western intelligence agencies are seeking to lead Georgia to war with Russia. He is expected to be sworn in on December 29.
Former footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili was elected president of Georgia on Saturday as the ruling party that voted him in is tightening its grip in what the opposition calls a blow to the country's European Union aspirations.
Kavelashvili, 53, was the only candidate on the ballot and easily won the vote given the Georgian Dream party's control of the 300-seat electoral college that replaced direct presidential elections in 2017. The college is made up of members of parliament, councils municipalities and regional legislatures.
Out of 225 electors present, 224 voted for Kavelashvili. A former professional footballer, Kavelashvili has strong anti-Western, often conspiratorial, views. In public speeches this year, he has repeatedly claimed that Western intelligence agencies are trying to get Georgia into a war with Russia. He is expected to be sworn in on December 29.
Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the parliament as the voting procedure for the new president took place.
" Today's presidential elections cannot be legitimate, because the parliamentary elections have been manipulated and basically an illegitimate parliament cannot elect a legitimate president", says a protester. "It is not possible for a president to have only 9 years of education. I studied and worked since I was 15 years old. He is not our president ", says another protester.
"What we see today is a pure betrayal of the Georgian will, the will of the people, and a betrayal of the values of the Georgian people and Western values. "Today's election represents the clear desire of the system to bring Georgia to the Soviet roots," says one protester.
Georgian Dream retained control of the South Caucasus nation's parliament in an Oct. 26 election that the opposition claims was rigged with Moscow's help. Georgia's outgoing president and the main pro-Western parties have since boycotted parliamentary sessions and demanded a repeat vote. The Georgian Dream party has pledged to continue working towards EU membership, but also wants to "restore" ties with Russia.
Critics have accused the party, founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadowy billionaire who made his fortune in Russia, of becoming increasingly authoritarian and pro-Moscow, charges the ruling party has denied. The party recently passed laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on free speech and the rights of the LGBTQ community.
Pro-Western Salome Zourabichvili has been president since 2018 and has vowed to stay on beyond the end of her six-year term, describing herself as the only legitimate leader until new elections are held.
The Georgian Dream party's decision last month to suspend talks to join the European Union fueled opposition anger and sparked citizen protests.
Thousands of demonstrators gather every night outside Parliament after the government announced the suspension of EU membership talks on November 28.
Police have used force to disperse protesters, and hundreds have been arrested. The US and the EU have condemned the excessive use of force by the police against the protesters./Voice of America (A2 Televizion)
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