Georgia Selects New President, Affirming Shift Away From West
- Mikheil Kavelashvili got approval from electoral college
- Current pro-Europe president vowed to remain voice of nation
Georgia selected Mikheil Kavelashvili as its next president on Saturday, as protests backed by the current head of state continue over the government’s turn away from the West in favor of closer ties with Russia.
Kavelashvili, a former footballer and lawmaker for the ruling Georgian Dream party that won disputed parliamentary elections in October, was the sole candidate for the largely ceremonial post and won 224 votes. For the first time the president was selected not by a direct voting, but by an electoral college consisting of 300 people including all members of the parliament.