Former Manchester City striker Mikheil Kavelashvili was appointed president on Saturday by Georgia’s disputed parliament.

This came after a 17-day pro-EU protest swept across the European country.

Two hundred and twenty-four out of 225 Georgia’s electoral college members voted Mr Kavelashvili on Saturday.

According to the BBC, Mr Kavelashvili, a former lawmaker, was the only candidate from the ruling Georgian Dream party. 

Although four main opposition groups, including the People’s Power party, have rejected Mr Kavelashvili’s appointment, they have boycotted parliaments and insisted that the elections held in October be rigged. 

Georgia’s outgoing president, Salome Zourabichvili, has tagged the election a travesty, insisting she holds Georgia’s only remaining legitimate institution.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has accused Ms Zourabichvili of trying to harm Georgia’s interest, suggesting her retirement on December 29, 2024, when her administration comes to an end.

The protest against the Georgian Dream began after the October election but became more forceful when the government announced it put EU accession negotiations on hold until 2028.

Georgian Dream was founded by billionaire businessman and former Georgian prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, who has been accused of dragging the country back into Russia’s sphere of influence.

“We have very strong state institutions, so we certainly have no difficulty in bringing the situation under full control,” Mr Kobakhidze said.

Another member of the Georgian Dream party, Nino Tsilosani, told reporters that Ms Zourabichvili was no longer president in the eyes of the public.