TBILISI, Georgia (AP) 鈥� Mikheil Kavelashvili became president of Georgia on Saturday, as the ruling party tightened its grip in what the opposition calls a blow to the country鈥檚 EU aspirations and a victory for former imperial ruler Russia.
Kavelashvili, 53, who was the only candidate on the ballot, easily won the vote given the Georgian Dream party鈥檚 control of a 300-seat electoral college that replaced direct presidential elections in 2017. It is made up of members of Parliament, municipal councils and regional legislatures.
Georgian Dream retained control of Parliament in the South Caucasus nation . The party has vowed to continue pushing toward EU accession but also wants to 鈥渞eset鈥� ties with Russia.
Georgia鈥檚 outgoing president and main pro-Western parties have boycotted the post-election parliamentary sessions and demanded a rerun of the ballot.
In 2008 Russia fought a brief war with Georgia, which led to Moscow鈥檚 recognition of as independent, and an increase in the Russian military presence in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Critics have accused Georgian Dream 鈥� established by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadowy billionaire who made his fortune in Russia 鈥� of becoming increasingly authoritarian and tilted toward Moscow, accusations the ruling party has denied. The party recently similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on freedom of speech and LGBTQ+ rights.
Pro-Western Salome Zourabichvili has been president since 2018 and has vowed to stay on after her six-year term ends Monday, describing herself as the only legitimate leader until a new election is held.
Georgian Dream's decision last month to suspend talks on their country's bid to join the European Union added to the opposition's outrage and .
Who is the outgoing president?
Zourabichvili, 72, was born in France to parents with Georgian roots and had a successful career with the French Foreign Ministry before President named her Georgia's top diplomat in 2004.
Constitutional changes made the president鈥檚 job largely ceremonial before Zourabichvili was elected by popular vote with Georgian Dream's support in 2018. She became sharply critical of the ruling party, accusing it of pro-Russia policies, and Georgian Dream unsuccessfully tried to impeach her.
鈥淚 remain your president 鈥� there is no legitimate parliament and thus no legitimate election or inauguration,鈥� she has declared on the social network X. 鈥淢y mandate continues.鈥�
Zourabichvili rejects government claims that the opposition was fomenting violence.
鈥淲e are not demanding a revolution," she told The Associated Press. 鈥淲e are asking for new elections, but in conditions that will ensure that the will of the people will not be misrepresented or stolen again.
鈥淕eorgia has been always resisting Russian influence and will not accept having its vote stolen and its destiny stolen.鈥�
Zourabichvili said Saturday鈥檚 vote was a 鈥減rovocation鈥� and 鈥渁 parody" while a leader of one of Georgia鈥檚 main opposition parties said it was unconstitutional.
Giorgi Vashadze of the Unity National Movement Coalition said Zourabichvili is 鈥渢he only legitimate source of power.鈥�
Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said Kavelashvili鈥檚 win 鈥渨ill make a significant contribution to strengthening Georgia鈥檚 statehood and our sovereignty, as well as reducing radicalism and so-called polarization.鈥�
鈥淭he main mission of the presidential institution is to care for the unity of the nation and society,鈥� said Kobakhidze, a former university professor and later chairman of Georgian Dream.
Who's the ruling party presidential candidate?
Georgian Dream nominated Kavelashvili 鈥� mocked for lacking higher education by Georgia's opposition. Some protesters outside Tbilisi's Parliament building on Saturday morning brought their own university diplomas while others kicked soccer balls.
Kavelashvili was a striker in the English Premier League for Manchester City and played for several soccer clubs in the Swiss Super League. He was elected to Parliament in 2016 on the Georgian Dream ticket and in 2022 co-founded the People鈥檚 Power political movement, which was allied with Georgian Dream and become 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 鈥減ursuing the interest of a foreign power,鈥� similar to a Russian law used to discredit organizations critical of the government.
The EU, which granted Georgia candidate status in December 2023 on condition that the country meets the bloc鈥檚 recommendations, put its accession on hold and cut financial support in June following approval of the .
How did opposition protests unfold?
Thousands of demonstrators converged on 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 daily to disperse and beat scores of protesters, some of whom threw fireworks at police officers and built barricades on the capital鈥檚 central boulevard. Hundreds were detained and over 100 treated for injuries.
Several journalists were beaten by police and media workers accused authorities of using thugs to deter people from attending anti-government rallies, which Georgian Dream denies. The crackdown has drawn strong condemnation from the United States and EU officials.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday, in a video statement in support of the protests, said Georgia鈥檚 "European dream must not be extinguished.鈥�
鈥淓urope does not seek to sow chaos, Europe does not seek to destabilize or subjugate its neighbors,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he voice of Georgians must be listened to and respected."
鈥�(Kavelashvili) is not elected by us. He is controlled by a puppet government, by Bidzina Ivanishvili, by Putin,鈥� protester Sandro Samkharadze said outside Tbilisi鈥檚 Parliament building. Another protester waved a sign saying 鈥淲e are children of Europe.鈥�
Demonstrators vowed the rallies would continue. 鈥淚f (the government) wants to go to Russia, they can go to Russia, because we are not going anywhere. We are staying here,鈥� said protester Kato Kalatozishvili.
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Associated Press writer Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report.
Sophiko Megrelidze, The Associated Press
