In the Georgian capital Tbilisi, on December 29, protesters came out with "red cards" against the inauguration of former footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili as president. Police began detaining the protesters, Radio Liberty's Echo of the Caucasus project reports, UNN reports.
Clashes broke out between police and anti-government protesters at the rally site, journalists noted .
Subsequently, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that all six protesters who were detained at the rally on Rustaveli Avenue on December 29 had been released.
The inauguration ceremony of Mikheil Kavelashvili took place on December 29 at 11 a.m. Tbilisi time. Representatives of European countries and the United States were not invited to the ceremony.
In the morning, the opposition President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili voluntarily left the presidential palace.
According to the Georgian Constitution, Zurabishvili's duties were supposed to end after the new president was sworn in. However, Zurabishvili herself and opposition politicians do not recognize Kavelashvili as the sixth president of Georgia.
The Georgian opposition has expressed readiness to physically protect Zurabishvili at her residence on Atonela, and the ruling Georgian Dream party has threatened Zurabishvili with prison if she refuses to leave office or tries to dissolve parliament.
On Saturday, December 14, the Electoral College of Georgia elected the president of the country. Mikheil Kavelashvili won the presidential election in Georgia, the legitimacy of which is not recognized by the current head of state and the opposition.
Kavelashvili, a former football player and representative of the Power of the People party, which formally split from the ruling party, was the only candidate. He is 53 years old and has no higher education. Kavelashvili is a football veteran who began his career at Lokomotiv Tbilisi, then moved to Dynamo Tbilisi, where he became a six-time Georgian champion. In 1995, he joined Spartak Alania in Vladikavkaz, and in 1996 he joined Manchester City (28 matches, 3 goals). He also played for clubs in Switzerland. He played 46 matches for the Georgian national team, scoring 9 goals.