Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party has nominated Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former soccer player and current lawmaker, as its presidential candidate in the December 14 election, Bloomberg reports.
The announcement, made by Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili in Tbilisi, comes amidst a backdrop of intense political unrest following the October 26 parliamentary elections.
Ivanishvili, a billionaire, expressed his hope that Kavelashvili would “serve Georgia, not foreign forces.” The nomination followed the opening of parliament this week, boycotted by four opposition parties supporting President Salome Zourabichvili in protest of the disputed election results.
The previous night, large demonstrations took place across Tbilisi, with protestors expressing concerns over alleged electoral fraud. President Zourabichvili and 30 opposition lawmakers have filed motions with the Constitutional Court to nullify the election results.
Tensions have been further exacerbated by the recent passage of a controversial “foreign agent” law. The government’s decision to ignore widespread protests against the law in May has further fueled public dissent.
Before the October elections, Ivanishvili accused a “global war party” in the West of plotting to overthrow the Georgian government using NGOs and to drag Georgia into conflict with Russia.
The upcoming presidential election will be decided by an Electoral College composed of 300 members, including all parliamentarians, under recently implemented constitutional changes. A two-thirds majority (200 votes) is required for victory; otherwise, a second round will be held between the top two candidates. Parliament has scheduled the inauguration for December 29. The president’s role is largely ceremonial. The upcoming election is expected to further intensify the political polarization gripping the small Caucasus nation of 4 million.
