Kavelashvili, 53, easily won the vote given the Georgian Dream party’s control of a 300-seat electoral college that replaced direct presidential elections 2017. It is made up of members of Parliament, municipal councils and regional legislatures, AP reported.
Georgian Dream retained control of Parliament in the South Caucasus nation in an October 26 election
Georgian Dream has vowed to continue pushing toward EU accession.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in light snowfall outside parliament ahead of the presidential vote. Some played soccer in the street outside and waved red cards at the parliament building, a mocking reference to Kavelashvili’s former sporting career.
Georgians have held nightly rallies since the government declared it would freeze European Union accession talks until 2028. Police have repeatedly used tear gas and water cannon against the people in a violent crackdown that has seen more than 400 arrests.
A striker for Manchester City in the mid-1990s who entered politics in 2016, Kavelashvili and two other Georgian Dream parliamentarians set up a splinter group called People’s Power in 2022. People’s Power became known for its anti-Western position.
MA/PR
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