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Former Manchester City footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili is all set to become Georgia's next president on Saturday. The 53-year-old, who previously served as an MP with the ruling Georgian Dream party, is the only candidate for the position. His appointment will be decided by an electoral college controlled by the Georgian Dream party, which changed the election process in 2017, eliminating popular voting for president.
Many view Mr Kavelashvili's upcoming presidency as "illegitimate," given the widespread social unrest in the capital, Tbilisi. He's set to become only the second former footballer to serve as a head of state, following in the footsteps of George Weah, the former president of Liberia.
Who is Mikheil Kavelashvili?
Mikheil Kavelashvili played as a striker for Manchester City during the 1995-96 Premier League season. He scored once on his debut in a Manchester derby, though his time at City was brief and unspectacular. Over his 12 months at the club, he made 29 appearances, scoring 3 goals.
He also played as a striker for many Swiss clubs – Grasshoppers, Zurich, Luzern, Sion, Aarau, and Basel. He played for Dinamo Tbilisi and Spartak Vladikavkaz. On national duty, he represented Georgia 46 times, scoring nine goals.
After retiring from football, Mr Kavelashvili transitioned into politics. He was elected to the Georgian parliament in 2016 and later became a key figure in the Georgian Dream political party, which has been accused of harbouring pro-Russian sentiment.
He left the party in 2022 and co-founded the People's Power party. On November 27, 2024, Georgian Dream nominated him as their presidential candidate for the election on December 14.
Mr Kavelashvili is known for his far-right political stance. He was nominated for the largely ceremonial role of president-elect of Georgia in December 2024, following a controversial re-election of the Georgian Dream party.
The election comes after 16 days of protests across Georgia, where citizens have rallied for the country's pro-EU stance.
Why Are People Protesting In Georgia
The protests erupted following the Georgian Dream party's decision to delay talks on joining the European Union until 2028. The decision has angered many citizens hoping for closer integration with the EU. The protests intensified after Mr Kavelashvili was nominated as the country's next president.
The 53-year-old is seen by protesters as a puppet of oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, the party's founder. Protesters also disapprove of his controversial views, especially on LGBTQ rights, and criticise the Georgian Dream party for aligning more closely with Russia than the West.
Georgia Protests
Demonstrations have persisted in Tbilisi and other cities, with protesters gathering in central locations such as the Parliament and Heroes' Square. The protests are likely to escalate, especially with Mr Kavelashvili's upcoming presidential election. More than 400 arrests have been made, and over 100 people have been hospitalised as of December 12, CBS reported.