A former football player has been elected as the president in Georgia.

For the first time in Georgia's history, the president was elected by a 300-member electoral commission. The candidate of the ruling Georgian Dream party, known for its closeness to Russia, Mikheil Kavelaşvili, a member of parliament and former football player, became Georgia's new president through a direct vote by the electoral commission composed of members of parliament and local government representatives.

Four opposition groups, claiming that there was fraud in the parliamentary elections in October, did not participate in the election as they boycotted the parliament. Out of the 300 members of the electoral commission, 225 voted in the presidential election, with 224 voters casting their votes in favor of the sole candidate, Kavelaşvili.

WHAT HAPPENED?

The ruling Georgian Dream party's sudden halt of the long-term national goal written in the country's constitution by freezing the EU accession process until 2028 led to a reaction from the opposition and the people of Georgia.

Georgia's President Salome Zurabişvili, who prioritizes policies regarding EU membership and views the parliament as illegitimate due to allegations of election fraud, stated in a statement yesterday that she would remain president even after her term ends.

Zurabişvili said, "In the meantime, I am not going anywhere, I will not leave the office to anyone. I am here and I will be here."

The opposition parties stated that they would continue to see Zurabişvili as the legitimate president even after Kavelaşvili takes office on December 29.