Mikheil Kavelashvili, a hardline critic of the West, was sworn in as president of Georgia on Sunday amid a political crisis after the government froze European Union application talks in a move that sparked major protests.
Kavelashvili sworn in as Georgia's president as predecessor vows to fight on
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Far-right former footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili was sworn in as Georgia's new president Sunday. His predecessor Salomé Zourabichvili has vacated the presidential palace in Tbilisi but maintains that she is the country's "only legitimate president".
Mikheil Kavelashvili, a hardline critic of the West, was sworn in as president of Georgia on Sunday amid a political crisis after the government froze European Union application talks in a move that sparked major protests.
Outgoing President Salomé Zourabichvili, a pro-EU opponent of the ruling party, said in a defiant speech to supporters outside the presidential palace that she was leaving the residence, but that Kavelashvili had no legitimacy as president, which is a mostly ceremonial position.
She said: "I will come out of here and be with you".
"I am taking legitimacy with me, I am taking the flag with me, I am taking your trust with me," she added, before walking out of the palace to mingle with her supporters.
Outgoing President Salomé Zourabichvili, a pro-EU opponent of the ruling party, said in a defiant speech to supporters outside the presidential palace that she was leaving the residence, but that Kavelashvili had no legitimacy as president, which is a mostly ceremonial position.
She said: "I will come out of here and be with you".
"I am taking legitimacy with me, I am taking the flag with me, I am taking your trust with me," she added, before walking out of the palace to mingle with her supporters.
Zourabichvili says that Kavelashvili was not duly picked, as the lawmakers who chose him were elected in an October parliamentary election that she says was marked by fraud. Georgia's opposition parties support her.
The presidential standoff is seen as a watershed moment in Georgia, a mountainous country of 3.7 million that had until recently been regarded as among the most democratic and pro-Western of the former Soviet states.
- The Georgian Dream ruling party and the country's election commission say that the October election was free and fair.
- The ruling party says Kavelashvili is the duly elected president.
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"The Georgian people have always understood that peace is the main prerequisite for survival and development," he said after being sworn in on Sunday.
Protesters outside parliament held up red cards in a mocking reference to Kavelashvili's athletic career.
Opposition supporters say that under Zourabichvili, who was elected with Georgian Dream’s support in 2018 before breaking with the party in recent years, the presidency was the only institution in the country not ultimately under the control of ruling party founder Ivanishvili.
- Georgian Dream got almost 54% of the official vote in October's election.
- Local and international election monitors have said the vote was marked by violations that could have affected the results.
- Western countries have called for an investigation.
Zourabichvili is backed by the country’s four main pro-EU opposition parties, which have boycotted parliament since the election. They say she will remain the legitimate president until fresh elections are held.
The confrontation comes amid a month of protests sparked by Georgian Dream's suspension of EU accession talks until 2028, abruptly halting a longstanding national goal of joining the bloc that is written into the country’s constitution.- The move touched off widespread anger among Georgians, who polls show are firmly pro-EU, and prompted a police crackdown, with over 400 people, including senior opposition leaders, detained.
Opposition supporters say that under Zourabichvili, who was elected with Georgian Dream’s support in 2018 before breaking with the party in recent years, the presidency was the only institution in the country not ultimately under the control of ruling party founder Ivanishvili.
They say that with the installation of Kavelashvili, Ivanishvili will have total control over Georgia.
Uploaded: Dec 28, 2024
Mikheil Kavelashvili, chosen by the ruling Georgian Dream party, has officially assumed office as Georgia’s new president during a high-profile inauguration ceremony.
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Uploaded: Dec 28, 2024
Live from Tbilisi, Georgia: Watch the historic inauguration of Mikheil Kavelashvili as Georgia's new president. A former parliamentary deputy and soccer player, Kavelashvili takes the oath to lead the ...
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