«Грузинская мечта» предложила в президенты бывшего футболиста, известного своей антизападной позицией.

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

The name of the candidate was announced by the honorary leader of the “Georgian Dream,” billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili.

“Honesty, justice, patriotism, and principledness are the qualities that distinguish Mikheil Kavelashvili. He embodies the best of a Georgian man by nature, if you will, in his character. He is a wonderful man and the father of four children. Taking all of the above into account, 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, the egregious practices of betraying the country and systematic violations of the Constitution by the President of Georgia, which have caused the greatest damage to the Institute of the President, will remain in the past,” Ivanishvili proclaimed.

What is known about Kavelashvili?

A former football player, 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 the “Power of the People,” which formally split from the ruling party.

The “Power of the People” movement was founded while Georgia awaited the status of a candidate 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 distinguished itself with 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 “Power of the People” that initiated the “foreign agents law,” similar to the Russian one, which sparked 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 the education section empty. According to media reports, in 2015, Kavelashvili was unable to run for the position of president of the Georgian Football Federation because he did not have a higher education certificate at that time.