Accompanied by protests: ultra-right Kavelashvili sworn in as president in Georgia

Accompanied by massive protests, the ultra-right new President Mikheil Kavelashvili was sworn in in Georgia on Sunday morning. The former football professional, loyal to the government, was inaugurated into office in a short ceremony in parliament on Sunday. Meanwhile, outgoing pro-European President Salome Zurabishvili said in a speech to thousands of demonstrators that she would remain “only legitimate female president”. The anti-government protests in the Caucasus country are now entering their second month.

Zurabishvili emphasized that she would withdraw from the presidential palace but would continue the fight. “I will leave the Presidential Palace and stand at your side, with the legitimacy, the flag and your trust”she said to her supporters on Sunday.

In the past, Zurabishvili had stated that she did not want to give up her position. During the speech, the outgoing president wore the same outfit in the colors of the Georgian flag, red and white, as she did at her own swearing-in six years ago.

After the speech, the crowd moved towards the parliament building. Many demonstrators held up red cards as a sign of their rejection of the new president. Shortly afterwards the demonstration broke up. However, new protests were announced for the evening.

At least 2,000 people had already gathered in front of the presidential palace that morning to protest against the swearing-in ceremony. Many demonstrators waved EU flags, as AFP journalists reported.

34-year-old protester Giorgi Mamatelashvili told AFP that he had actually expected the president to stay in the palace. However, this would have led to a dramatic stalemate, he said. But “she is and remains our president”Mamatelashvili continued.

“We trust her, we follow her, and right now she is our leader”said 42-year-old Schorena Alexaia. “I am sure she only wants the best for Georgia and we have confidence in her.”

“We will keep fighting. We will continue to protest”said David, a 22-year-old protester. “It’s too late to back down.”

After being sworn into parliament, Kavelashvili said Georgia’s history clearly shows “that after countless battles to defend our homeland and traditions, peace has always been one of the most important goals and values ​​of the Georgian people”.

The new president, who is known for his vehement anti-Western tirades and has also repeatedly made derogatory comments about LGBTQ people, then praised “our traditions, values, national identity, the sanctity of the family and faith”. For the first time in Georgia’s history, the presidential swearing-in ceremony took place behind closed doors in the parliamentary chamber.

Kavelashvili was elected in the middle of the month in an electoral meeting that was boycotted by the opposition. Zurabishvili called for protests against his inauguration on Sunday morning.

Government opponents see Kavelashvili as a puppet of the Russia-friendly billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, who controls the ruling Georgian Dream party. According to the official results, they won a clear majority in the parliamentary elections on October 26th. However, the opposition accuses her of electoral fraud. She accuses the government of the former Soviet republic of wanting to bring Georgia closer to Russia and move away from the EU.

The ruling party, for its part, claims to be the only guarantor of stability in the country and accuses the West of wanting to drag Georgia into the Ukraine war.

The outgoing President Zurabishvili confirmed in her address on Sunday that a repetition of the “unlawful” Choice be that “Formula for the solution” the crisis. However, Prime Minister Iraqi Kobachidze has ruled out new elections.

On November 28, the Georgian government announced that it would suspend accession negotiations with the EU until 2028. Since then, there have been daily anti-government demonstrations in the country calling for continued rapprochement with the EU.

Republican US Congressman Joe Wilson on Friday invited Zurabishvili to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration on January 20 – “as the only legitimate one” Representative of Georgia.