Former Premier League star controversially becomes Georgia president
Published: 11:51 GMT, 14 December 2024
A former Manchester City star became the president of Georgia on Saturday, despite the controversial nature of his elevation to power.
Mikheil Kavelashvili, who scored three times in 28 appearances for City between 1995 and 1997, has taken on the role following an election in October.
He was elected to parliament in 2016 as part of the right wing Georgian Dream party and in 2022 he co-founded the People's Power political movement, which was allied with Georgian Dream and has become known for its strong anti-Western rhetoric.
The October election saw the Georgian Dream party retain control of parliament and they subsequently nominated Kavelashvili as their candidate to become president.
The 53-year-old easily won a vote to confirm his ascension on Saturday given the Georgian Dream party's control of a 300-seat electoral college that replaced direct presidential elections in 2017.
However, the election was hugely controversial amid opposition accusations that the Georgian Dream, who are viewed as pro-Russian, rigged the vote with the help of the Kremlin.
In fact, opposition parties have claimed the accession of Kavelashvili is a victory for Russia, along with a blow to the country's European aspirations.
They have since boycotted parliamentary sessions and demanded new elections, with mass protests across the country against Georgian Dream over recent months.
These were enhanced when the government announced EU accession negotiations were being pushed back until 2028, with the majority of Georgians in favour of the country being a part of the EU.
Georgian Dream has insisted it is committed to continue pushing toward EU accession but also wants to 'reset' ties with Russia.
In 2008 Russia fought a brief war with Georgia, which led to Moscow's recognition of two breakaway regions as independent, and an increase in the Russian military presence in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Critics have accused Georgian Dream - established by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a shadowy billionaire who made his fortune in Russia - of becoming increasingly authoritarian and tilted toward Moscow, accusations the ruling party has denied.
The party recently pushed through laws similar to those used by the Kremlin to crack down on freedom of speech and LGBTQ+ rights.