Political crisis in Georgia: Ex-footballer becomes president

Political crisis in Georgia: Ex-footballer becomes president

The Georgian MPs elected a right -wing extremist former football star as the next president of the country on Saturday. This deepens the tensions between the Pro-Russian government and the pro-Western opposition, which, in the face of growing public outrage over the government's decision to stop the EU accession talks, are becoming increasingly violent.

Mikheil Kavelashvili: A controversial president

Mikheil Kavelashvili, 53 years old, is a former member of the ruling party Georgian Dream and played for the English football team Manchester City in the 1990s. He was the only candidate who was available. For the first time, the president was not elected by a national election, but by a secret coordination in a 300-member election college from MPs and representatives of the local government. Since the four largest opposition groups have boycotted the parliament since the controversial elections in October, Kavelashvili was practically safe.

choice and inauguration

A total of 225 voters were present, and 224 voted for Kavelashvili, who was the only nominated candidate, reported the Reuters news agency. Its inauguration is scheduled for December 29. The presidents of Georgia mainly have ceremonial powers.

political tensions and protests

Kavelashvili is considered the strict critic of the West, and his upcoming presidency will undoubtedly deepen the gap between pro-wicked forces and pro-EU demonstrators who have been camping in Tbilisa for 16 nights. These protests followed the government's decision to stop the talks about the EU accession.

reactions to the choice

Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze congratulated Kavelashvili on the election and described the outgoing President Salome Zourabichvili as the "agent" of unazzous foreign forces. Zourabichvili, a pro-western figure that has joined the opposition protesters, expressed that the presidential election was "a mockery of democracy". Before the election, she had sworn to stay in office, regardless of the result, and emphasized that she represents the only legitimate institution of Georgia.

Criticism of Kavelashvili

Critics question Kavelashvili's suitability for the office and refer to his sporting background instead of political experiences. He joined politics in 2016 after he was disqualified for the management of the Georgian Football Association because he was missing a university degree. Natalie Sabanadze, Georgia's former ambassador to the EU, told CNN that Kavelashvili was "absolutely not qualified" and that his nomination was regarded by many Georgians as "an insult to the country".

The current crisis in Georgia

Georgia has been in a crisis since the controversial elections in October. Georgian Dream, who has been in power for 12 years, declared himself the winner, but observers report that the election was neither free nor fair. The European Parliament calls for new elections. Despite earlier statements that his party is obliged to join the EU, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced on November 28 that the government would suspend the accession talks with the EU, which is supported by about 80 % of Georgians.

protests and persistent tensions

Georgia's relationships and the EU have worsened in recent months after Brussels accused the government of authoritarian measures and pro-Russian attitudes. Pro-EU citizens have demonstrated at night in front of the parliament building in Tbilisi, despite the violence on the part of the police and masked “special forces”, the procedures against dozens of protesting procedures. The Interior Ministry of Georgia stated that more than 150 civil servants were injured during the protests.

In the early Saturday, the demonstrators took to the street for the 17th time. Some watched how they played football, obviously in an allusion to the upcoming appointment of Kavelashvilis.

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