Former Manchester City footballer elected president of Gjergji

Former football player Mikhail Kavelasvili was elected president of Georgia on Saturday, while the ruling party that voted is strengthening its control in what the opposition calls a blow to the country's aspirations for the European Union.

53-year-old Kavelasvili was the only candidate in the ballot and easily won the vote in view of the party's control “Georgia's dream” in the 300-nation electoral college, which replaced the presidential direct election in 2017.

This college consists of members of Parliament, municipal councils and regional legislatures.

Of the 225 electorates present, 224 voted for Kavelasvil.

A former professional football player, Kavelasvili has strong anti-Western, often conspiracy views. In this year's public speeches, he has repeatedly claimed that Western intelligence agencies are trying to bring Georgia into battle with Russia. He is expected to take the oath on December 29th.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside parliament while voting procedures were under way for the new president.

The current presidential elections cannot be legitimate, because parliamentary elections have been manipulated and essentially a legitimate parliament cannot elect a legitimate president”, one protester says.

Could not a president have only nine years of education. I've been studying and working since I was 15. He is not our president”, says another protester.

What we see today is a pure betrayal of Georgian will, people's will and betrayal of the values of the Georgian people and Western values. Today's choice represents the system's clear desire to put Georgia to Soviet roots”, a protester shows.

Georgia's dream held control of the Parliament in the South Caucasus country in the October 26th elections, which the opposition claims were manipulated with Moscow's help. The outgoing president of Georgia and the main pro-Western parties have since boycotted parliamentary sessions and called for a repeat vote.

The Georgian Dream Party has pledged to continue working for EU membership, but also wants to “restify” ties with Russia.

Critics have accused this party, founded by Bidzin Ivanisvili, a shadowy billionaire who made his fortune in Russia, that it is becoming increasingly authoritarian and prone to Moscow, charges the ruling party has denied. The party recently passed laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on freedom of speech and the rights of the LGBTQ community.

Pro-Western Salome Zourabichvili has been president since 2018 and has pledged to stay after the end of her six-year term, describing herself as the only legitimate leader until holding new elections.

The Georgia Dream Party's decision last month to suspend talks to join the European Union increased opposition's ire and promoted citizens' protests, reports VOA.

Thousands of demonstrators gather each night outside the Parliament after the government announced the suspension of EU membership talks on November 28th.

Police have used force to disperse protesters, while hundreds have been arrested. The US and EU have condemned the excessive use of force by police to protesters.