Ruling party nominates MP, former football player Mikheil Kavelashvili for President

The ruling Georgian Dream party on Wednesday nominated Mikheil Kavelashvili, a member of the Georgian Parliament and former national football team player, as its presidential candidate.

Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and Honorary Chair of the party, highlighted Kavelashvili’s “successful political activity” over the past eight years.

“He was one of the outstanding members of our political team. Especially in the last few years, he made a great contribution to protecting Georgia's national interests and strengthening the country's sovereignty”, Ivanishvili said.

Mikheil Kavelashvili needs no special introduction to the public. For years, he has defended the honour of Georgia as a successful athlete. Misha was a member of the Georgian football team and is a multiple champion [of club leagues] of several countries”, he noted.

Ivanishvili further expressed confidence Kavelashvili would “fully return the temporarily deprived dignity to the institution” of the President, in reference to controversies between the party and incumbent President Salome Zourabichvili over the years.

There is no doubt that Mikheil Kavelashvili will serve not a foreign power, but the Georgian state and the Georgian people, and will contribute to the progress and success of our country. I would like to wish Mikheil Kavelashvili successful work as the President of Georgia”, he concluded.

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday addressed the legislative body with a proposal to hold the presidential elections on December 14.

Under new rules, defined by the Constitution, the President will no longer be elected directly, through universal suffrage. Instead, the Central Election Commission will form an electoral college, consisting of 300 members, to elect the President.

The  college will include 150 members of the Parliament, while the other 150 will involve 20 members from the Supreme Council of the Abkhazia region, 21 from the Supreme Council of the Adjara region, and 109 formed from representatives of local self-government bodies.