Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream, has announced former Manchester City footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili as its presidential candidate. The party’s chairman and Georgia’s wealthiest individual, Bidzina Ivanishvili, revealed the decision at a briefing on Wednesday.
Kavelashvili, a political hard-liner with anti-Western views, is now positioned as the likely next president of Georgia. Previously barred from running for the presidency of the country’s football federation in 2025 due to his lack of higher education, Kavelashvili now finds himself in the running for an even higher office. This year’s presidential elections mark a historic shift: for the first time, the vote will be conducted indirectly by a 300-member electoral college comprising members of parliament and local government representatives, the majority of whom are aligned with the Russia-friendly Georgian Dream.
“I am confident Mikheil Kavelashvili will fully restore the temporarily stolen dignity of the presidential institution,” Ivanishvili declared. The Georgian Dream chairman has faced frequent accusations from the opposition and critics for steering Georgia away from its European ambitions and closer to Russia. Emphasizing Kavelashvili’s national commitment, Ivanishvili added, “There is no doubt that Mikheil Kavelashvili will serve the Georgian state, not foreign powers.”
This comment was widely viewed as a pointed criticism of current pro-European President Salome Zourabichvili, who is at odds with the ruling party. Georgian Dream has even initiated impeachment proceedings against Zourabichvili, citing her diplomatic visits to Brussels as grounds for their efforts to unseat her.
Kavelashvili’s political résumé reflects his transition from athlete to politician. After playing for the Georgian national team, Dinamo Tbilisi, and briefly for Manchester City during the mid-1990s, he entered politics. In 2022, he parted ways with Georgian Dream to establish his own right-wing Euroskeptic party, People’s Power.
The political climate in Georgia is tense, with the country rocked by protests following the October 26 parliamentary elections. While the ruling Georgian Dream claims to have secured a sweeping victory, Zourabichvili, opposition parties, and independent observers contend the election was marred by allegations of fraud and manipulation.
The presidential election is scheduled for December 14, providing yet another flashpoint in Georgia’s increasingly polarized political landscape.
Contributions to this report by Dato Parulava.
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