Former Manchester City footballer sworn in as Georgia's president
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Former Manchester City footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili has been sworn in as the president of Georgia. The outgoing pro-Western president Salome Zourabichvili has insisted she is still the legitimate officer holder and does not recognise her opponent's appointment.
However, she said on Sunday morning that she will vacate her residence at the Orbeliani Palace in Tbilisi. It comes in the wake of contested general election results, which were mired in allegations of corruption and fraud. "I will come out of here, come out to you and be with you," Ms Zourabichvili told a crowd of supporters outside the palace.
"This presidential residence was a symbol as long as there was a president here who was legitimate. I bring legitimacy with me.". The presidency is a largely ceremonial position. Ms Zourabichvili also called Mr Kavelashvili's inauguration a "parody", as protesters gathered in front of the parliament building holding red cards.
Mr Kavelashvili, who was a striker for Manchester City between 1996 and 1997, is backed by Georgia's ruling Dream Party. He easily won the presidential vote in December, as Georgian Dream controls a 300-seat electoral college that replaced direct presidential elections in 2017.
Georgian Dream retained control of the country's parliament in an election in October that the opposition alleges was rigged with Moscow's help. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player. . The main pro-Western parties have boycotted the post-election parliamentary sessions and demanded a re-run of the ballot.
