A former soccer star is set to become Georgia’s president on Saturday as the ruling party tightens its grip, in what the opposition calls a blow to the country’s European aspirations and a victory for former imperial ruler Russia.
The ruling Georgian Dream party retained control of parliament in the South Caucasus nation by winning 89 out of 150 seats in an October 26 vote that was widely seen as a referendum on integration into Europe. The opposition has accused Georgian Dream of rigging the vote with the help of Moscow. It has boycotted parliamentary sessions and demanded new elections.
Meanwhile, former Premier League striker Mikhail Kavelashvili, 53, is expected to easily win Saturday’s vote as the ruling party controls the 300-seat electoral college made up of members of parliament, municipal councils and regional legislatures. That college replaced direct presidential elections in the 2017 constitutional reform.
Georgian Dream has vowed to move toward joining the EU, but it also wants to “reset” relations with Russia.
Russia fought a brief war with Georgia in 2008, leading to Moscow recognizing the two breakaway regions as independent and increasing Russian military presence in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Critics have accused Georgian Dream — founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, an obscure billionaire who made his fortune in Russia — of becoming increasingly authoritarian and leaning toward Moscow, allegations the ruling party denies. The party has recently pushed laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on free speech and LGBTQ+ rights.
Pro-Western Salome Zourabichvili has been president since 2018 and has vowed to remain in office after her six-year term ends on Monday, calling herself the only legitimate leader until new elections are held.
Georgian Dream’s decision last month to suspend talks over its country’s bid to join the EU sparked opposition outrage and forceful protests.
Who is the current president?
Zourabichvili, 72, was born in France to parents of Georgian origin and had a successful career in the French Foreign Ministry before President Mikheil Saakashvili named him Georgia’s top diplomat in 2004.
Constitutional changes had largely formalized the president’s job before Zourabichvili was elected by popular vote in 2018 with the support of Georgian Dream. She became sharply critical of the ruling party, accusing it of pro-Russian policies, and Georgian Dream unsuccessfully tried to impeach her.
“I will remain your president – there is no legitimate parliament and therefore no legitimate elections or inaugurations,” she announced on the social network X. “My mandate continues.”
Speaking to The Associated Press, Zourabichvili rejected the government’s claims that the opposition was inciting violence.
“We are not calling for a revolution,” Zourabichvili said. “We are demanding new elections, but under conditions that will ensure that the will of the people will not again be misrepresented or stolen.”
“Georgia has always been opposed to Russian influence and will not accept that its votes are stolen and its fortunes are stolen,” he said.
Who is the presidential candidate of the ruling party?
Georgian Dream nominated Kavelashvili – mocked by the opposition for his lack of higher education. He was a striker for Manchester City and several clubs in the Premier League and the Swiss Super League. He was elected to parliament on the Georgian Dream ticket in 2016 and in 2022 co-founded the People’s Power political movement, which was affiliated with Georgian Dream and known for its strong anti-Western rhetoric.
Kavelashvili was one of the authors of a controversial law that required organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to be registered as “advancing the interest of a foreign power”, as were organizations critical of the government. Was similar to the Russian law used to defame.
The EU, which had granted Georgia candidate status in December 2023 on the condition that the country meets the bloc’s recommendations, blocked its accession in June after approval of a “foreign influence” law and cut financial aid. .
How did the opposition come forward?
Thousands of protesters gathered at the Parliament building every night after the government announced it was suspending EU accession talks on 28 November.
Riot police used water cannons and tear gas almost daily to disperse and beat back hundreds of protesters, some of whom threw fireworks at police officers and built barricades on the capital’s central boulevard.
Hundreds of people were detained and more than 100 were treated.
Several journalists were beaten by police and media workers accused authorities of using thugs to prevent people from attending anti-government rallies, which Georgian Dream denies.
The action has been strongly condemned by United States and European Union officials.