Outgoing Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has denounced the election of her successor, former footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili, labeling the process “a parody of democracy.” Despite the end of her six-year term on Monday, Zourabichvili has vowed to remain in office, asserting that Georgia’s Parliament lacks legitimacy and the authority to appoint her successor.
Kavelashvili, 53, a vocal critic of the West and a member of the ruling Georgian Dream party, was the sole candidate on the ballot. He was chosen by 224 of 225 electoral college voters in a process opposition figures claim was orchestrated to consolidate the party’s power and shift Georgia further away from European Union integration.
Zourabichvili, a long-standing critic of Georgian Dream, accused the party of aligning with Russian interests and suppressing democratic freedoms. She has refused to endorse contentious legislation and survived multiple impeachment attempts. Opposition parties, echoing her stance, have declared they will continue to recognize Zourabichvili as the legitimate president even after Kavelashvili’s inauguration on December 29.
The controversy is compounded by disputes over the October parliamentary elections, which opposition leaders and international observers allege were marred by violence, bribery, and Russian interference. Georgian Dream retained power but faced widespread protests after suspending EU accession talks until 2028 in response to criticism from the European Parliament.
Kavelashvili co-authored a divisive law requiring organizations receiving foreign funding to register as “foreign agents,” a move likened to Russia’s authoritarian practices. Critics argue Georgian Dream’s policies, including laws curbing free speech and LGBTQ+ rights, signal increasing autocracy.
Georgia, which was granted EU candidate status in 2023 under stringent conditions, now risks losing its path toward integration. The international community remains watchful as unrest grows in a nation torn between democracy and authoritarianism.
