Founder of Georgian Dream Party Bidzina Ivanishvili Talks to New President-elect at Swearing-in Ceremony
Mikheil Kavelashvili, a hardline critic of the West, was sworn in as the President of Georgia on Sunday amid a political crisis. His election was marked by controversy, as outgoing President Salome Zourabichvili, a pro-EU opponent of the ruling party, rejected his legitimacy.
Zourabichvili, who was walking out of the presidential palace to join her supporters, claimed that the lawmakers who elected Kavelashvili were chosen in an October parliamentary election that was marked by fraud. Georgia’s opposition parties back her up on this claim.
In contrast, the Georgian Dream ruling party and the country’s election commission maintain that the October election was free and fair. The ruling party has announced Kavelashvili as the duly elected president.
The dispute has brought a political crisis to Georgia, a mountainous country of 3.7 million that was once considered one of the most democratic and pro-Western of the former Soviet states. Kavelashvili, a former professional soccer player who has repeatedly accused Western intelligence agencies of plotting to drive Georgia into war with neighboring Russia, has praised the Georgian people’s understanding of peace as a prerequisite for survival and development.
Protesters outside parliament held up red cards in jest, referencing Kavelashvili’s athletic career as a soccer player. Georgia’s Western partners, including the European Union, have called for an investigation into the election, as local and international election monitors reported widespread violations that could have affected the outcome.
Zourabichvili, the returned president, has the backing of Georgia’s pro-EU opposition parties, which have been boycotting parliament since the election. She plans to remain the legitimate president until fresh elections are held. The crisis comes amid a month-long series of protests sparked by Georgian Dream’s suspension of EU accession talks, which has halted the country’s efforts to join the EU.
The dispute has split the country, with polls showing that a majority of Georgians prefer to join the EU. The country’s relations with the West have deteriorated significantly, with some Western countries imposing sanctions on members of the ruling party. The outcome of this crisis will have significant implications for Georgia’s future and its place in the world.