Tbilisi [Georgia]: Former Georgian footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili assumed office as Georgia’s president during a swearing-in ceremony at the Parliament in Tbilisi. The event followed weeks of political unrest and the refusal of pro-Western outgoing President Salome Zourabichvili to step down, Al Jazeera reported on Sunday.
Kavelashvili, 53, a former national team player who also competed in the English Premier League, took his oath on the Bible and the Georgian constitution. In his speech, he vowed to prioritize the nation’s interests amidst an ongoing political crisis.
Local media reported that no significant protests occurred outside the Parliament during the ceremony. The ruling Georgian Dream party, which controls the legislature, emphasized that Kavelashvili is the duly elected president.
Meanwhile, Zourabichvili addressed her supporters outside the presidential palace, declaring her departure from the official residence but reiterating her claim as the legitimate president.
“This spectacle taking place in parliament is an injustice that our country does not deserve,” she stated, according to Al Jazeera. Zourabichvili contends that Kavelashvili’s election lacked legitimacy due to alleged fraud in the October parliamentary vote, which saw the Georgian Dream party secure a majority.
Pro-European Union advocates and demonstrators are demanding fresh elections to address the disputed results. However, the Georgian Dream party and the country’s election commission insist that the October vote was conducted fairly.
The Georgian Dream party had previously warned Zourabichvili of potential legal action, including imprisonment, if she failed to vacate the presidential residence. Additionally, the ruling party has stalled negotiations regarding Georgia’s EU membership, leading to widespread protests.
Critics accuse the Georgian Dream party of aligning the country closer to Moscow rather than pursuing its long-standing aspiration to join the European Union. This political shift has intensified divisions within Georgia, sparking ongoing calls for reform and transparency.
