A former football star has become the President of Georgia as the ruling party consolidates its grip on power.
Ex-Premier League and Manchester City striker Mikheil Kavelashvili, 53, easily won the vote given the Georgian Dream party’s control of a 300-seat electoral college that replaced direct presidential elections in 2017
Georgian Dream retained control of parliament in the South Caucasus nation in an election on October 26 that the opposition alleges was rigged with Moscow’s help.
Georgia’s outgoing president and main pro-Western parties have since boycotted parliamentary sessions and demanded a rerun of the ballot
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Georgian Dream has vowed to continue pushing toward EU accession but also wants to “reset” ties with Russia.
The opposition calls the situation a blow to the country’s European aspirations and a victory for former imperial ruler Russia.