The "Georgian Dream" party has nominated a former football player known for his anti-Western rhetoric as a candidate for president.

This was reported by JAM News and “Echo of the Caucasus”.

The name of the candidate was announced by the honorary head of the "Georgian Dream," billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili.

“Honesty, justice, patriotism, and principledness are the qualities that distinguish Mikhail Kavelashvili. He is the best embodiment of a Georgian man by nature, if you will, in his habitus. He is an excellent man and the father of four children. Considering all of the above, the team made a unanimous decision to nominate Kavelashvili for the position of President of Georgia,” Ivanishvili stated.

He added that “Kavelashvili will fully restore the dignity temporarily taken from the Institute of the President.”

“The inauguration of the new president will take place on December 29, and from that day on, the outrageous practices of betrayal of the country and systematic violations of the Constitution by the president of Georgia, which have caused the greatest damage to the institute of the presidency, will remain in the past,” Ivanishvili declared.

What is known about Kavelashvili?

A former footballer, he played for Tbilisi clubs "Lokomotiv" and "Dinamo," Vladikavkaz's "Spartak-Alania," and "Manchester City," as well as various clubs in Switzerland.

Since 2016, Kavelashvili has been a member of parliament. He was elected from the "Georgian Dream," but in August 2022, he became one of the leaders of "People's Power," which formally split from the ruling party.

The "People's Power" movement was founded while Georgia awaited its candidate status for EU membership. The main task of this political force was to “arm society with the truth.” However, from the very first days, the movement was characterized by anti-Western rhetoric. In particular, the movement issued a statement claiming that the USA “is doing everything to overthrow the government” of Georgia.

In 2023, it was the "People's Power" that initiated the "foreign agents law," similar to the one in Russia, which triggered mass protests in the country and drew criticism from the country’s partners.

Nothing is known about Kavelashvili's education—his official page on the parliament's website has an empty education section. According to media reports, in 2015, Kavelashvili was unable to run for the position of president of the Football Federation of Georgia because he did not have a higher education certificate at that time.