Ex-Man City Footballer Wins Georgian Presidential Election

Mikhail Kavelashvili has received endorsement from more than 200 out of 300 MPs. Read Full Article at RT.com.

Ex-Man City Footballer Wins Georgian Presidential Election
Mikhail Kavelashvili's candidacy has received backing from over 200 MPs out of 300.

The Georgian parliament has officially appointed former Manchester City player Mikhail Kavelashvili, whose party is part of the ruling coalition, as the new president of Georgia.

Kavelashvili’s candidacy was supported by 224 legislators in the parliament, with the 53-year-old being the sole candidate under consideration.

In the structure of the Georgian parliamentary republic, executive power is held by the prime minister and government, while the president's position is largely ceremonial.

The pro-EU opposition, which has been protesting since the ruling Georgian Dream party's significant victory in the parliamentary elections in October, has expressed its refusal to recognize the presidential election results.

Demonstrators began to gather in the capital’s center in the morning, waving Georgian and EU flags. They chanted, “Salome! Salome!,” in reference to the outgoing pro-Western president, Salome Zourabichvili.

Earlier this week, Zourabichvili stated to Radio France Internationale that she intends to remain in the presidential palace despite her term officially ending on Monday. “When a new president is legitimately chosen through an election, I will gladly give up my seat to him,” she remarked.

This election marks the first instance of the Georgian president being chosen by MPs rather than through a popular vote.

Kavelashvili was previously associated with the Georgian Dream before becoming a member of the newly-established People’s Party in the summer of 2022. This party currently holds eight parliamentary seats and is part of the ruling coalition.

Prior to entering politics, Kavelashvili had a successful football career, playing for Manchester City, Dinamo Tbilisi, Spartak Vladikavkaz, and various Swiss clubs, including Basel and Zurich’s Grasshoppers, scoring a total of 166 goals. He also earned 46 caps and scored 9 goals for the Georgian national team.

Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News