Kavelashvili was installed as the president of Georgia, which complicates the country’s path towards the EU – National
Former soccer player Mikheil Kavelashvili was officially installed as Georgia’s president on Sunday, consolidating the ruling party’s power in what the opposition calls a clash of European Union ambitions and a victory for the former Russian dictator.
The outgoing President who supports Western Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, said on Sunday morning that she will leave her residence at the Orbeliani Palace in Tbilisi, but insisted that she is still officially in charge of the office.
“I will get out of here, come out to you and be with you. … This presidential residence was a symbol as long as there was an official president here. I am coming with legitimacy too,” Zourabichvili told a crowd of supporters outside the palace.
He called the appointment of Kavelashvili “ridiculous”.
Kavelashvili, 53, who was the only candidate, easily won the vote in early December as the Georgian Dream party took control of the 300-seat electoral college that replaced the direct presidential election in 2017. It is made up of members of Parliament, municipal councils and regional legislatures.
In his speech on Sunday, Kavelashvili promised to be “everyone’s president, regardless of whether they like me or not. He asked the nation to unite behind him “in the principles of mutual respect, principles of mutual respect, and the future that we must build together.”
Georgian Dream was able to control the Parliament in the South Caucasus country in the October 26 election, which the opposition party suspects was rigged with the help of Moscow. The party has vowed to continue its push to join the European Union but also wants to “reset” relations with Russia.
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Georgia’s outgoing president and major pro-Western parties boycotted the post-election parliamentary sessions and called for a repeat vote.
In 2008 Russia fought a brief war with Georgia, which led Moscow to recognize the two breakaway regions as independent, and an increase in Russian military presence in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Critics have accused Georgian Dream – founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadowy billionaire who made his fortune in Russia – of growing authoritarianism and leaning towards Moscow, allegations the ruling party has denied. The group has recently pushed for laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to end freedom of speech and LGBTQ2 rights.
Georgian Dream’s decision last month to suspend negotiations on their country’s bid to join the EU has fueled opposition anger and inspired protests.
Protesters in front of the parliament building on Sunday were holding red cards, talking about Kavelashvili’s work in football.
“Because today our president is a football player, we show him a red card. The next step will be getting him off the field. The people of Georgia will definitely do this, because it was a circus they held today in the parliament,” said protester Sofia Shamanidi. The Associated Press.
The outgoing president is seeking new elections
Zourabichvili, 72, was born in France to parents with Georgian roots and had a successful career with the French foreign minister before President Mikheil Saakashvili named him his top diplomat for Georgia in 2004.
Constitutional reforms made the presidency more ceremonial before Zourabichvili was elected by popular vote in support of the Georgian Dream in 2018. He was highly critical of the ruling party, accusing it of pro-Russian policies, and Georgian Dream tried unsuccessfully to impeach him.
Zourabichvili rejected the government’s accusations that opposition groups are fueling the violence.
“We don’t want change,” he said The Associated Press. “We are asking for new elections, but under conditions that will ensure that the will of the people will not be distorted or stolen again.
Who is the new president?
Georgia’s opposition has mocked Kavelashvili for his lack of higher education.
He was a striker in the English Premier League for Manchester City and played for many clubs in the Swiss Super League. He was elected to Parliament in 2016 on the Georgian Dream ticket, and in 2022 he founded the political organization People’s Power, which was affiliated with the Georgian Dream and 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 “pursuing foreign interests,” similar to a Russian law used to denigrate critical organizations.
The EU, which granted Georgia status in December 2023 on the condition that the country meets the bloc’s recommendations, suspended its entry and cut financial support in June following the approval of the “foreign influence” law.
How do protests happen?
Thousands of protesters gathered at the 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 every day to disperse and beat dozens of protesters, some of whom threw explosives at police and set up barricades in the city center. Hundreds were arrested and more than 100 were treated for injuries.
Many journalists were beaten by the police and media workers accused the authorities of using thugs to prevent people from attending anti-government meetings, which Georgian Dream denies. The commutation of the sentence has been widely criticized by US and EU officials.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
