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Day: December 14, 2024
Georgia presidential election
Today, on 14 December, Georgia‘s ruling party is holding elections for a new president in the parliament building. For the first time in the country’s history, the president is being elected indirectly by a 300-member electoral college, half of which consists of all members of parliament.
However, the parliament elected on 26 October is single-party, as all four opposition groups that passed the threshold declared the elections rigged and refused to take their seats.
Neither civil society nor the international community recognizes the legitimacy of Georgia’s newly elected parliament, calling all its decisions unconstitutional.
This also applies to the presidential election taking place on 14 December.
The opposition and the current president, Salome Zourabichvili, assert that she remains the legitimate president of Georgia and, in fact, the only legitimate institution in the country—the Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces and the nation’s highest representative in foreign relations.
For the 17th day, large-scale demonstrations have been taking place in Tbilisi and other cities across Georgia, with the main demand being the announcement of new parliamentary elections.
Ex-footballer with no degree: Ruling party’s pick for Georgia’s president
The electoral college selecting the president is almost entirely made up of representatives from the ruling Georgian Dream party. There is only one candidate: former footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili.
The new president will serve a five-year term.
The voting procedure began at 9 a.m. on 14 December and will continue until 2 p.m. Afterward, there will be a break, votes will be counted, and the results will be announced in the afternoon.
The entire process is overseen by Giorgi Kalandarishvili, the Chairman of the Central Election Commission.
Thousands of Georgian citizens began gathering outside the parliament at 8 a.m., carrying slogans protesting the decisions of the illegitimate parliament. Many brought their diplomas to symbolize their opposition to the election of an “unqualified, uneducated candidate for the presidency.”
It’s very cold in Tbilisi, with a strong icy wind, and snow fell in the morning. Protesters have brought dozens of footballs and are playing football en masse in front of the parliament. This is also a reference to Mikheil Kavelashvili, the former footballer and the authorities’ candidate for the presidency.
Protesters are playing football in front of the Parliament in Tbilisi, where ruling party MPs are electing a president today. This references their candidate, former footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili, who has no other credentials, no education, and no opponent in an election deemed… pic.twitter.com/lBfX8V4iZO
— JAMnews (@JAMnewsCaucasus) December 14, 2024
On the evening of 13 December, Georgia’s incumbent president, Salome Zourabichvili, held an emergency briefing, declaring that she is the country’s only legitimate and pro-European institution. She stated that she would continue to act on behalf of the Georgian people as the legitimate president until new parliamentary elections are held.
Salome Zourabichvili also briefly joined the protesters outside the parliament in the morning. She told journalists that she was “heading to work” and added, “Everything will be fine.”
The crowd greeted her with applause. “We love you, President,” people shouted.
The Georgian Dream-led parliament made a unique preparation for the presidential elections it organized. It was announced beforehand that the parliament is no longer single-party, as an “opposition” has emerged. This role is being played by a group of deputies who declared their separation from the ruling party and the formation of an opposition faction called “People’s Power.”
This group, referred to as the “pseudo-opposition,” existed in 2023 and was known for its anti-Western rhetoric. It joined Georgian Dream ahead of the parliamentary elections in October but has now “separated” again.
Guram Macharashvili, one of the group’s leaders, stated that they have no fundamental disagreements with the Georgian Dream and left the parliamentary majority “to support the formation of a healthy opposition.”
Experts argue that this division was created to give Georgian Dream a formal justification for claiming they are not alone in parliament and that the “opposition” also participated in the presidential elections.
On the night of 13 December, the parliamentary press office announced the introduction of a “yellow security level” in the building. This means visitor access to the parliament is restricted. Only accredited TV channels are allowed to attend the session, excluding all other independent media outlets.
Such restrictions have become a tradition for the parliament. The “yellow security level” was also declared in May 2024, when the previous parliament passed the “foreign agents” law, as well as on the day the new ruling party-led parliament held its first session.
Both events were accompanied by mass protests outside the parliament building.
Anthony Blinken: “She returned knowing that she might be arrested on arrival.”
The U.S. Department of State awarded Sevinj Vagifgizi, the editor-in-chief of AbzasMedia, with the “Champions of Combating Corruption” award.
Sevinj is known for her work on corruption investigations, and she is currently imprisoned.
In his speech, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted Sevinj’s devotion over the past decade in exposing government abuses.
“She is also the one awardee who is not with us this afternoon. In November 2023, Sevinj flew home from an overseas country amid a crackdown on Azerbaijani independent media. She returned knowing that she might be arrested on arrival. She was. Now, more than a year later, she remains in detention. Prior to her arrest Sevinj wrote and I quote, ‘I don’t feel fear anymore. I know what they can do. It does not stop me. It is more important to be useful to the people. People need us’”
-Antony Blinken
Blinken also expressed gratitude to the ten anti-corruption champions for their courage. He said it was an honor to partner with them in this fight. The Department of State created the “Champions of Combating Corruption” award in 2021 to recognize individuals who have made significant progress in fighting corruption and to show the U.S. government’s solidarity with them.
This year’s award recipients include journalists, human rights defenders, judges, and even government officials who have facilitated major institutional changes. Other awardees include Jorge Mora Cortes from Colombia, Matrika Daxal from Nepal, Altin Dumani from Albania, Srbukhy Galyan from Armenia, Carl Irani from Lebanon, Marr Nyang from Gambia, Javier Enrique Caraballo Salazar from Panama, Didar Smagulov from Kazakhstan, and Jimmy Spyre Ssentongo from Uganda. Blinken emphasized that each recipient made a difficult decision to help their own citizens and all the people around the world, and their dedication, along with those of others, we are in a better place now.
AbzasMedia, the organization behind Sevinj’s work, has also faced significant challenges. Six of its employees, including the general manager Ulvi Hasanlı, assistant Muhammad Kekalov, editor Sevinj Vagifgiz, reporters Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova, and investigative journalist Hafız Babali, have been arrested. These individuals are facing charges of smuggling, with some detained since November 2023.
On May 31, 2024, journalist and economist Farid Mehralizade from the “Azadlig” radio station was arrested, and a search was conducted at his home. He was accused under Article 206.3.2 of the Penal Code, which concerns smuggling by a group of individuals who had previously made secret agreements. The Khatai District Court decided to detain him for security reasons. On the same day, AbzasMedia issued a statement declaring that Mehralizade had no connection to the media organization.
Following this, each of the detainees in the AbzasMedia case was faced with additional serious charges related to financial matters. Since November 2023, nearly 20 journalists and social activists have been arrested in Azerbaijan on smuggling charges. None of these individuals have been charged based on their professional activities or political affiliations.
According to local human rights organizations, there are currently around 300 political prisoners in Azerbaijani prisons. Authorities typically assert that no one has been detained solely for political reasons related to their professional activities. However, both local and international human rights organizations believe these arrests are politically motivated, and they are calling for the release of the detainees and the withdrawal of the charges against them.
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