Georgian government votes in far-right former soccer player as president

Georgian lawmakers voted in a far-right former soccer star as the country’s next president on Saturday, amid mounting popular anger over the government’s halt to EU accession talks.

Mikheil Kavelashvili, 53, is a former MP for the ruling Georgian Dream party and played for the English soccer team Manchester City during the 1990s. He was the only candidate in the running.

For the first time, the president was chosen not by a national election, but in parliament by a direct ballot of a 300-member electoral college made up of MPs and representatives of local government. Because the four main opposition groups have boycotted parliament since October’s disputed election, Kavelashvili was a shoo-in to win.

In total there were 225 electors present for the vote, and 224 voted for Kavelashvili, who was the only candidate nominated, Reuters reported. He will be inaugurated on December 29, the news agency said.

Kavelashvili is a hardline critic of the West and his upcoming presidency will no doubt deepen tensions in the country between pro-Kremlin forces and pro-European Union protesters, many of whom who have camped out in Tbilisi for the past 16 nights following the government’s decision to halt talks on joining the EU.

The outgoing president, Salome Zourabichvili, a pro-Western figure who has joined the opposition protesters, said the presidential vote makes “a mockery of democracy.” Before the vote, she vowed to remain in office despite the result, insisting she holds the only legitimate institution left in Georgia.

“I’m here and will remain – standing together with everyone!” Zourabichvili said late Friday.

This is a developing story and will be updated.