Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former football player and vocal critic of Western influence, was officially sworn in as the president of Georgia on Sunday. His inauguration comes during a period of significant political unrest, following the government’s decision to freeze talks on European Union membership, a move that has ignited widespread protests across the country.
Outgoing President Salomé Zourabichvili, who has been a pro-EU advocate and a critic of the ruling Georgian Dream party, delivered a defiant speech to her supporters outside the presidential palace. In her address, she asserted that she remains the legitimate officeholder, despite her departure from the residence.
Zourabichvili has raised concerns about the legitimacy of Kavelashvili’s election, claiming that the lawmakers who selected him were elected in an October parliamentary election marred by fraud. This assertion has garnered support from various opposition parties in Georgia.
In contrast, the ruling Georgian Dream party and the country’s election commission maintain that the October elections were conducted fairly and transparently. They assert that Kavelashvili is the duly elected president, despite the ongoing political tensions and protests surrounding his inauguration.
