Georgia elects anti-Western Kavelashvili as president amid protests
Mikheil Kavelashvili, the only candidate nominated by the ruling ‘Georgian Dream’ party, is selected as country’s sixth president after the voting at the Parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia on December 14, 2024. (AA Photo)
Georgian lawmakers elected Mikheil Kavelashvili, a staunch critic of the West, as president on Saturday, amid growing protests against the government.
The election comes after the Georgian Dream party froze the country’s European Union accession talks last month, angering many Georgians who support EU integration.
Why it matters?
Kavelashvili’s election marks a shift away from Georgia’s pro-Western stance, with many fearing the country’s ties with Russia could deepen. His anti-Western views and conspiracy theories about Western intelligence agencies have fueled tensions within the country, especially as the Georgian public strongly supports EU membership.
Zoom in
- Protests: Hundreds of protesters gathered outside parliament during the presidential vote, some mocking Kavelashvili’s past as a soccer player by waving red cards.
- Election results: Kavelashvili won with 224 votes out of 225 electors, though all opposition parties boycotted the vote, citing election fraud claims.
- Opposition stance: Outgoing President Salome Zourabichvili, a pro-EU figure, still regards herself as the legitimate president and is leading the protest movement.
Zoom out
Relations between Georgia and the West have deteriorated, with Georgian Dream pushing for closer ties with Russia. The government’s recent crackdown on protests, including the use of water cannons and tear gas, has drawn international criticism, with the EU threatening sanctions. The shift away from EU integration has sparked fears of Georgia regressing to its Soviet-era roots.
