"Georgian Dream" has put its deputy for the post of president

224 out of 300 MPs voted in favour of Mikhail Kavelashvili, a candidate from the ruling Georgian Dream party, former MP and former footballer. He was the only one on the ballot paper and there was nothing to choose from.

For the first time in Georgia's history, the president was not chosen directly by the people, but by the Electoral College, which is controlled by the ruling party.

The electoral college consisted of 300 parliamentarians, 211 of them from the Georgian Dream. A simple majority of 151 votes was sufficient to elect the president. Kavelashvili won 200 votes from the electoral college, according to the CEC's calculations.

The inauguration is due to take place on 29 December.

This procedure, which replaced direct voting by citizens in the election of the head of state, was used in Georgia for the first time.

The new Georgian president is not recognised as legitimate by three previous presidents at once: third president Mikheil Saakashvili, fourth president Giorgi Margvelashvili and fifth president Salome Zurabishvili.

He used to be a footballer - in different years he played in Dinamo Tbilisi, British Manchester City, Swiss Grasshopperi and other clubs. In the 2016 elections, he became a member of parliament.

During the voting, protesters came under the walls of the Georgian parliament to point out that the "elected" president has no higher education and his only merit is his ability to play football.

It should be noted that incumbent Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili said that she would not give up her powers because the parliament, which she calls illegitimate, would not be able to elect her successor.