The pro-Russian Government of Georgia completed its total control over the country’s institutions this Saturday with the election of the country’s new president. With completely new electoral rules, the only candidate for the position has been nominated by Parliament, controlled by the Georgian Dream party, in a vote that was boycotted by the opposition.
Kavelashvili, who received the support of 224 of the 300 national and municipal deputies summoned, replaces the European opposition in office, who had been elected by universal suffrage in the 2018 presidential elections. Zurabishvili refuses to leave his position, as he does not recognize the legitimacy of the legislative that emerged from those held in October.
Kavelashvili’s appointment comes just one year after accession. Since then, Sueño Georgiano has passed several repressive laws that have strengthened its power, facilitating its victory in the October legislative elections. , these elections “offered a wide range of options to voters,” although there was “pressure on voters, especially public sector employees” to vote in favor of the Government. A month later, in November, the authorities suspended negotiations to join the community bloc until at least 2028.
Kavelashvili thus becomes the sixth president of the Caucasian country since its independence from the Soviet Union, more than three decades ago. The high-ranking official served as an official deputy since 2016, after a relatively successful football career that even led him to join the English team Manchester City. Born in 1971, he is the founder of La Fuerza del Pueblo, a movement he promoted – which allows the Government to muzzle NGOs and critical media – and . These reforms were condemned by the opposition and the West for their similarity to the draconian regulations enacted by Russia to repress the opposition and the LGTBI community.
“A year ago was a day of consensus, popular joy and great emotions. For a year, the one-man ruling party has crushed this great opportunity and built a repressive authoritarian regime,” via X. The policy thus alluded to , the oligarch who controls Georgian Dream in the shadows and maintains close ties with the Kremlin.
The authorities changed the presidential election mechanism in the 2017 constitutional reform. The Georgian political system previously benefited Georgian Dream, the most voted party, in parliament and the judiciary, thanks to the majority obtaining overrepresentation in the institutions, but the presidency was out of reach thanks to universal suffrage. With the new method, which includes delegates from the separatist region of Abkhazia in exile, Kavelashvili had secured the necessary threshold of votes.
The opposition, which has demonstrated daily in Tbilisi since the Government froze the accession negotiations in the European Union on November 28, has gathered again this Saturday in front of parliament to protest against the appointment of Kavelashvili. In the images that the protesters have posted on social networks, the word “puppet” used against the new president could be read on their signs.
According to polls, support for joining the EU is overwhelming in Georgia, reaching even 80% of the population. This aspiration unites the different forces, and even this same day the supporters clubs of Real Madrid and Barcelona have been called in the Caucasian country to march together in protest through the capital.
Protesters face the risk of being arrested or beaten. Furthermore, the dissidents have denounced that this Saturday a new trick by the authorities has been added to the extensive police deployment these days: the mayor of the capital has called on children and parents to witness the lighting of the Christmas tree at the same time and in the same place where the daily demonstrations are held.
Zurabishvili, president since 2018, reiterated on the eve that she will not abandon the presidency and described the vote as an “anti-constitutional travesty.” The senior official accuses the Kremlin of destabilizing its neighboring countries. “Georgia, Moldova, Romania… Russia is using electoral interference and various hybrid instruments to try to derail these countries from their democratic path. “It is a war against elections, a war against Europe!” he assured.
