Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former professional soccer player with ties to a pro-Russian party, was inaugurated as Georgia's president, triggering widespread protests in Tbilisi. The opposition accuses him of being a pawn of Russia and fears his presidency will harm Georgia's EU aspirations.
Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former professional soccer player who briefly played as a striker for Manchester City, has been sworn in as Georgia's new president, sparking protests across the nation's capital Tbilisi. The former football player is a hardline critic of the West and is backed by the anti-EU ruling party Georgian Dream.Georgia's outgoing president and main pro-Western parties have boycotted the post-election parliamentary sessions and demanded a rerun of the ballot.
Thousands of people have protested in Georgia's capital Tbilisi after a former professional soccer player with backing from a pro-Russian party was sworn in as the country's new president. Mikheil Kavelashvili, 53, was formally inaugurated on Sunday, amid a political crisis after the government froze European Union application talks in a move that sparked major protests.Photo shows Red firecrackers go off in front of police guards. A fourth day of protests in the former Soviet republic sees thousands of protesters calling for EU membership talks to continue. Mr Kavelashvili, a former Manchester City player and hardline critic of the West, pledged to be 'everyone's president, regardless of whether they like me or not'. The president in Georgia is largely a ceremonial position but the opposition says his governance will be a blow to the country's EU aspirations and a victory for former imperial ruler Russia.was rigged with help from Russia, the government has suspended its application to join the European Union, and outgoing pro-EU president Salome Zourabichvili is refusing to step down from her position, saying she's the only legitimate president. 'I will come out of here, come out to you and be with you. … This presidential residence was a symbol as long as there was a president here who was legitimate. I bring legitimacy with me,' Ms Zourabichvili told a crowd of supporters outside the Orbeliani Palace in Tbilis
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