Mikheil Kavelashvili has been sworn in as Georgia’s new president in a ceremony held at the Parliament in Tbilisi. This comes amid ongoing protests and the refusal of his pro-European Union predecessor, Salome Zourabichvili, to accept the legitimacy of his election.
In a defiant speech to hundreds of supporters outside the presidential palace on Sunday, Zourabichvili announced that, although she was leaving the residence, she remained the rightful officeholder. She described the proceedings in Parliament as a “parody” that the country did not deserve. Zourabichvili also claimed that Kavelashvili’s election was invalid, arguing that the legislators who elected him had been chosen in an October parliamentary vote she believes was marred by fraud.
Pro-European protesters, along with Zourabichvili, are calling for a new election to replace the contested vote. However, the Georgian Dream ruling party and the country’s election commission maintain that the October election was free and fair.
Kavelashvili, a 53-year-old former national footballer, took the oath of office on the Bible and the Georgian constitution, pledging to serve the country’s interests during the ongoing political crisis. Despite the tension, local media reported that there were no major protests during the ceremony.
The Georgian Dream party, which controls the parliament, has declared Kavelashvili the legitimately elected president. They had previously warned Zourabichvili of imprisonment if she refused to vacate the presidential residence in central Tbilisi.
In addition, the Georgia Dream-led government froze discussions on Georgia’s EU membership, a decision that sparked widespread protests. The party’s critics accuse it of shifting Georgia’s foreign policy towards Moscow rather than pursuing the country’s long-standing goal of joining the European Union.
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