2024 Georgian presidential election

← 2018 14 December 2024 2029 →
300 members of the Electoral College 200 electoral votes needed to win
Candidate Mikheil Kavelashvili Party People's Power Electoral vote 224[1] Percentage 100% Nominator Georgian Dream
President before election Salome Zourabichvili Independent Elected President Mikheil Kavelashvili People's Power

Presidential elections were held in Georgia on 14 December 2024.^[2] Following amendments to the constitution and Georgia's transition to the parliamentary republic in 2017, which led to the drastic reduction to the presidential powers, this was the first indirect vote where the president was elected through a 300-member College of Electors composed of the parliamentary, local and regional representatives.^[3] Ruling party candidate Mikheil Kavelashvili was declared winner in the election.^[4]

The 2024 presidential election was the first in the history of Georgia to have only one candidate from only one party on the ballot, a drastic reduction from 65 candidates at the last presidential election in 2018.^[5] The election was widely disputed and regarded as illegitimate, largely due to allegations of electoral fraud associated with the concurrent parliamentary elections. These allegations have triggered widespread unrest and contributed to a broader political crisis in the country. Salome Zourabichvili, along with opposition parties and some of the international community, continues to assert her recognition as the legitimate President of Georgia.^[15]

The powers of the president have been limited as a result of the 2017 constitutional reform and Georgia's transition to the parliamentary model of government. The president no longer has power to conduct international negotiations with foreign countries. The president has reduced powers in wartime, as a decision on the use of the defence forces is to be made solely by the prime minister and it is be necessary for the president to obtain the prime minister's consent to declare martial law or a state of emergency; moreover, the National Defence Council – a consultative body to the president – has lost its permanent status, only be convened in times of martial law.^[16] Although the President formally remained the head of state, the commander-in-chief, and representative in foreign relations, his/her role no longer included ensuring "the functioning of state bodies within the scope of the powers granted by the Constitution". The President has also lost the right "to request particular matters to be discussed at the Government session and participate in the discussion."^[3]

Under a law passed in February 2024, the Speaker of Parliament, instead of the president, nominates and opens the competition for the election of the Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC) and its professional members. Parliament requires a three-fifths supermajority (90 votes) in the first round to elect candidates. If unsuccessful, a simple majority (76 votes) can be used in the next round, with two attempts allowed. If both attempts fail, the president gains the authority to appoint the CEC chairperson/member. The law also stipulates that CEC members serve a full five-year term, even if elected with a lower quorum.^[17]

Despite being endorsed by the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party during the 2018 presidential election and subsequently winning it, outgoing president Salome Zourabichvili has distanced herself from the governing party in the following years, which led to the President's inter-institutional conflict with the Second Garibashvili government and the Parliament. In at least two occasions, the Government banned the President from traveling abroad, preventing her from visiting Ukraine, Poland, Germany, and France.^[18] In March 2023, the Government announced it would file two lawsuits with the Constitutional Court against the President over her decision to go on an unauthorized visit to Brussels and Paris and over her refusal to sign outright decrees appointing ambassador candidates nominated by the Government,^[19] before dismissing the lawsuits several months later. Zourabichvili has increasingly used her veto power against the Parliament, including vetoing bills changing the composition of the National Bank of Georgia, and extending the scope and time limits for covert investigations, amongst other bills,^[20] most notably the 'foreign agents' bill.^[21]

GD tried impeaching Zourabichvili with no success on 18 October 2023, when the Parliament failed to collect the 100 votes needed to impeach her.^[22] In October 2024, the inter-institutional conflict escalated between the President and the Government. The President characterized the 2024 Georgian parliamentary election, which resulted in the Georgian Dream party’s victory, as “fraudulent” and deemed the newly elected parliament "illegitimate". She supported the post-election opposition protests and asserted her intention to remain president until new parliamentary elections were held upon the expiration of her term in December 2024.^[23][24] In response, the new Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, stated that the President would be compelled to resign.^[25]

On 26 September 2017, the Parliament of Georgia adopted the constitutional amendments, which went into effect in December 2018, after the inauguration of Salome Zourabichvili as President.^[26][27] As a result of the constitutional reform, the direct election of the president by popular vote was abolished and replaced by a system of indirect election through an 300-member College of Electors, including all 150 MPs, all 20 representatives from the Supreme Council of the Abkhazian Autonomous Republic, all 21 members from the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, and 109 electors representing self-governance bodies, allocated to the parties in proportion to their support received in the local elections. The new electoral system is in place for this election and onwards. The president is elected without prior debate on the Parliament floor through open ballot.^[3][2]

The president will serve for a term of five years and can serve maximum two terms. The eligibility age for the president increased from 35 to 40. The residence requirements changed as well: a presidential candidate has to have lived in Georgia for at least 15 years. However, a candidate is no longer required to have lived in Georgia for the last three years before the election.^[3]

A group of at least 30 electors is required to nominate the presidential candidate to the Electoral College. Each elector is entitled to nominate and vote for only one candidate. 200 votes are required to elect the President. However, if no nominee manages to secure 200 votes, a second round is held between 2 candidates with the most votes. In the second round the candidate who gains more votes than the other one is declared as winner.^[28]

In accordance with the opposition protests against the results of the 2024 Georgian parliamentary election and the parliamentary boycott by opposition parties, there were no local representatives or participants from the opposition in this election. Due to the opposition refusing to nominate its 55 local representatives to the Electoral College, these seats went to the Georgian Dream party, which allowed to increase its representation to 211 seats.^[29]

Additionally, two members of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia joined the opposition boycott.^[30][31]

On 26 November 2024, the Parliament of Georgia set the date of the election to 14 December. ^[33]

On November 27, 2024, the ruling Georgian Dream nominated Mikheil Kavelashvili, a former footballer and co-founder of People’s Power, as its candidate for the Presidency of Georgia.^[34]

Bidzina Ivanishvili, the party’s honorary chair, personally presented Kavelashvili as the nominee, emphasizing his distinguished career. Ivanishvili highlighted Kavelashvili’s achievements as a footballer who represented Georgia with honor, playing for Dinamo Tbilisi, Alania Vladikavkaz, Manchester City, and top Swiss clubs. He also described Kavelashvili’s habitus as embodying the ideal Georgian man, a principled patriot, devoted husband, and proud father of four.^[35][36]

Kavelashvili lacks a higher education degree, which barred him from running for Georgian Football Federation presidency in 2015. Mamuka Mdinaradze, Executive Secretary of GD, defended Kavelashvili's qualifications, arguing that love for one's country and basic competencies don't require a diploma, noting that many constitutions, including Georgia's, don't mandate higher education for public office. Mdinaradze criticized past leaders with degrees for failing to develop the country and expressed confidence in Kavelashvili as a non-partisan leader who would prioritize Georgia's interests, unify the nation, and avoid serving foreign agendas.^[37][38]

The nomination of Kavelashvili as the ruling party's presidential candidate has sparked strong criticism from opposition figures, who accuse the party's leadership of undermining democracy and disrespecting the Georgian people. Critics argue that the nomination discredits the country's democratic institutions, damages its relationships with the West, and label him as the "most prominent anti-Westerner." Some have also questioned Kavelashvili's qualifications and education, accusing the ruling party of pushing a divisive agenda that risks further isolating Georgia from its Western allies. Additionally, the opposition challenges the legitimacy of the parliamentary composition and the planned presidential election, with some describing it as unconstitutional and a betrayal of Georgian democratic traditions.^[39][40]

In response to these critiques, Salome Zourabichvili condemned the planned election as "illegitimate" and "unconstitutional," calling it a "travesty" with "no connection to any political process." She argued that the election was an insult to Georgian traditions, history, and culture, deeming it "unacceptable."^[41]

Due to the opposition parties' boycott of the parliamentary election results,^[42] no candidates were nominated by parties other than Georgian Dream, leaving Kavelashvili as the sole candidate for the presidency.^[43]

211 electors from the Georgian Dream and 14 from the Supreme Council of the Abkhazian Autonomous Republic participated in the election.^[44] All supported the candidacy of Mikheil Kavelashvili, except the Supreme Council of Abkhazia member Ada Marshania. She criticized the electors and declared she would not vote for Kavelashvili. Her vote was counted as invalid.^[45]

•  Belarus: President Alexander Lukashenko congratulated Kavelashvili on his election as President, expressing confidence that renewed cooperation between Belarus and Georgia would strengthen bilateral relations.^[46]
•  Armenia: Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and President Vahagn Khachaturyan both congratulated Kavelashvili on his election as President.^[47][48]
•  Azerbaijan: President Ilham Aliyev congratulated Kavelashvili on his election as President, expressing confidence in strengthening the bilateral ties between the two countries.^[49]
•  Serbia: President Aleksandar Vučić congratulated Kavelashvili on his election as President and extended an invitation for him to visit Serbia.^[50]

• Joe Wilson, Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe and Republican U.S congressman, stated that Zourabichvili remains the legitimate president of Georgia, adding that "she stands against the illegitimate government trying to foist a Russian puppet president on Georgians."^[51]
• Marko Mihkelson, chairman of the Riigikogu's Foreign Relations Committee, stated that Zourabichvili is the only legitimate president of Georgia.^[52]
• MEP Rihards Kols called the election of Kavelashvili to the presidency a move to mock the Georgian people and strengthen ties with Russia, asserting that Zourabichvili is the only legitimate president.^[53]
• MEP Rasa Juknevičienė called Zourabichvili the only legitimate official in Georgia elected through free elections. She described the election as a farce, comparing it to processes in autocracies like Russia and Belarus, and criticized Ivanishvili for continuing state capture.^[54]