TBILISI, 14 December - Mikheil Kavelashvili, representing the ruling Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party, was elected Georgia's sixth president on Saturday, according to the results of a vote count that was broadcast live on the Georgian parliament's official website.
A total of 224 members of the 300-strong electoral college cast their votes in favour of Kavelashvili, who needed to win two-thirds of the votes to win the first round of the election.
"According to the results provided by the Secretary General [of the Central Election Commission], Mikheil Kavelashvili was elected President," said the chairman of the ÚVK Giorgi Kalandarishvili at the signing of the final election protocol.
Presidential elections were held in Georgia on Saturday 14 December. For the first time, the country's new president was elected by the electoral college rather than by popular vote.
Mikheil Kavelashvili is a former football player and former member of parliament, and was the only presidential candidate supported by the ruling Georgian Dream - Democratic Georgia party. The opposition refused to recognise the results of the 26 October parliamentary vote in advance. It also boycotted the legislative assembly and did not field any candidate. Opposition MPs also did not take part in the vote.
New electoral system: the electoral college consists of 300 members, including 150 members of the Georgian Parliament, 21 and 20 representatives of the Supreme Councils of Adjara and Abkhazia respectively, and members of local authorities. Voting took place in the Georgian Parliament building, where it was conducted by the Central Election Commission of Georgia. The country's presidential elections have not been direct since constitutional changes were pushed through in 2018.
The inauguration of the new Georgian president, who was elected for a five-year term, is set for 29 December 2024.
TASS / photo: Mikhail Tereshchenko / gnews.cz-jav
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