On December 14, the Georgian parliament started presidential elections, the legitimacy of which is not recognized by the current president, Salome Zurabishvili, and the opposition forces. In the morning, protesters gathered under the parliament building. About this informs “Echo of the Caucasus” edition.
For the first time in the history of Georgia, the president is not elected by the people, but by the electoral college. The only candidate for this position is Mykhail Kavelashvili, a former football player and representative of the People’s Power party, which formally separated from the ruling Georgian Dream. His candidacy was nominated by the honorary chairman of “Georgian Dream”, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili.
The electoral college consists of 300 people, including members of the Georgian parliament, as well as members of the supreme councils of Adjara and the Abkhaz Autonomous Republic (in exile). However, 61 opposition MPs refused to participate in the vote, as did at least two members of the Supreme Council of Abkhazian Autonomy.
The presence of the majority of members of the collegium, i.e. a minimum of 151 deputies, is sufficient to hold elections, while at least 200 votes are required to elect the president.
At the same time, a yellow level of security was introduced in the Parliament of Georgia. Access to the building is allowed only to members of the electoral college and to persons who have received an invitation from the relevant structural units. Security forces are stationed around the parliament, and water cannons have been brought to the square.
