What’s to Know About Georgia’s New President?
Georgian president-elect Mikheil Kavelashvili attends a Georgian parliament session in Tbilisi, Georgia, Saturday. Dec. 14, 2024. 
Oleg BurunovMikheil Kavelashvili took his oath on the Bible and the Georgian constitution, swearing to serve the country’s national interests amid a political standoff. On December 29, Mikheil Kavelashvili was sworn in as Georgia’s new president in an inauguration at parliament that was attended by members of the ruling Georgian Dream party and its founder Bidzina Ivanishvili.Who is Georgia’s new president and how does the US meddle in internal affairs of the former Soviet republic?
Mikheil Kavelashvili’s Record
A former Dinamo Tbilisi and Manchester City football player, Kavelashvili was appointed president by the parliament during the December 14 elections, in which 224 out of 225 members of Georgia’s electoral college voted for the only candidate on the ballot.
WorldMikheil Kavelashvili Takes Office as Georgian President After Contested Vote08:14 GMTThe 53-year-old is a founder of the People’s Power party, allied with the Georgian Dream and known for being the main voice for anti-Western sentiments in Georgia. The Guardian recently called him “a pro-Russia, hardline critic of the West.”Kavelashvili has repeatedly said that Western intelligence agencies are seeking to drive Georgia into war with Russia.
He accused opposition parties of acting as a "fifth column" directed from abroad, slamming outgoing President Salome Zourabichvili as a "chief agent". The new president accused her of violating the constitution and declared that he would "restore the presidency to its constitutional framework.”
The footballer-turned-politician insisted that Georgian society is divided,” and that “radicalization and polarization” in the country are being fueled from abroad. He pledged to do his best to unite the society “around the idea of Georgia’s identity and independence.”
US Interference
Earlier this week, the US did not think twice before sanctioning Georgian Dream party’s founder Bidzina Ivanishvili for allegedly “undermining the democratic and Euro-Atlantic future of Georgia for the benefit of the Russian Federation,” according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.In September, the US cited the aforementioned allegations as it slapped sanctions on Zviad Kharazishvili, head of the Department for Special Assignments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and his deputy Mileri Lagazauri. Georgian Dream spokesman Givi Mikanadze denounced the sanctions as “interference in the pre-election processes and an attempt to influence the will of voters.”The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), in turn, said in a statement in July that Moscow has data that indicates Washington’s determination to seek a change of power in Georgia following the results of the parliamentary elections in the small Caucasian nation on October 26, which was finally won by the Georgian Dream.
AnalysisGeorgia Unrest Part of West’s Grand Strategy to Use Russia’s Neighbors as Pawns in Hybrid War29 October, 12:40 GMTAccording to the SVR, the US instructors have already given the command to the opposition forces in Georgia to start planning protests in the country timed to coincide with the elections.The October 26 elections saw Georgian Dream obtain 54.2% of the votes, with the four opposition parties together gaining 37.33%. The remaining political forces failed to overcome the 5% ceiling needed to make it to the parliament.
