Georgia lawmakers elect hardline critic of West as new president amid major anti-government protests

TBILISI (Reuters) – Georgian lawmakers elect Mikheil Kavelashvili, a hardline critic of the West, as president, setting him up to replace a pro-Western incumbent amid major protests against the government over a halt to the country’s European Union accession talks last month.

The ruling Georgian Dream party’s move to freeze the EU accession process until 2028, abruptly halting a long-standing national goal that is written into the country’s constitution, has provoked widespread anger in Georgia, where opinion polls show that seeking EU membership is overwhelmingly popular.

Kavelashvili, a former professional soccer player, has strongly anti-Western, often conspiratorial views. In public speeches this year, he has repeatedly alleged that Western intelligence agencies are seeking to drive Georgia into war with Russia, which ruled Georgia for 200 years until 1991.

Hundreds of protesters gather in light snowfall outside parliament ahead of the presidential vote. Some play soccer in the street outside and wave red cards at the parliament building, a mocking reference to Kavelashvili’s sporting career.

Georgian presidents are picked by a college of electors composed of MPs and representatives of local government. Of 225 electors present, 224 vote for Kavelashvili, who was the only candidate nominated.

All opposition parties have boycotted parliament since an October election in which official results gave Georgian Dream almost 54 percent of the vote, but which the opposition says was fraudulent.