Ex-football star Kavelashvili will escalate protests in Georgia!

Ex-football star Kavelashvili will escalate protests in Georgia!

The former striker of Manchester City, Mikheil Kavelashvili, was appointed new president of Georgia - but the circumstances are anything but usual!

In a dramatic political move, the ruling party of Georgia, the "Georgian Dream", the former footballer and controversial politician Mikheil Kavelashvili, appointed the new president. This happened in the middle of a storm of protests and unrest that the nation shakes since the controversial elections in October.

On Saturday, the election did not take place by the people, but by a 300-member election body-a decision that was made possible by constitutional changes seven years ago. Kavelashvili was the only candidate who was available. "The opposition believes that this government is illegitimate and therefore does not take part in processes that the government could legitimize," said Al Jazeeras Dmitry Medvedenko from Tbilisi.

protests and boycott

The opposition boycotted the parliament, while nationwide protests take place against the results of the parliamentary elections on October 26. Observers reported bribes and double votes - a scandal that shaken confidence in the government.

President Salome Zurabichvili, who came into office six years ago by the election, described the current parliament as "unconstitutional". She called for a "legitimate president" who is chosen by the people instead of a parliament that does not enjoy legitimacy. "We are at a turning point. Either we resist this regime or we get into a situation that resembles the regime of [Vladimir] Putin," she warned.

Before the election, hundreds of demonstrators gathered in front of the parliament in light snowfall. Some played football on the street and kept red cards up - a mocking allusion to Kavelashvili's earlier career as a footballer.

The Georgians have protested every night since the government's announcement of exposing the EU accession talks by 2028. The police repeatedly used tear gas and water cannons against people, which led to over 400 arrests.

a controversial ascent

Mikheil Kavelashvili, who played for Manchester City in the 1990s and entered politics in 2016, founded a splinter group called "People’s Power" together with two other MPs of the "Georgian Dream". This group is known for its anti-western attitude and has increasingly turned to Moscow.

critics accuse the “Georgian Dream” of becoming more authoritarian and more and more oriented towards Russia. The party has recently enforced "foreigner agents" laws that resemble the laws of the Kremlin and restrict freedom of expression and the rights of LGBTQ+persons.

The USA also imposed new sanctions against Georgian officials and about 20 people, including ministers and MPs who are accused of undermining democracy in Georgia, proven with an entry ban.