Georgian Dream is electing president amid protests.
Citizens have gathered at the parliament, some of whom have brought diplomas – to mark the fact that the “Dream” presidential candidate, ex-footballer Mikheil Kavelashvili, lacks the education to merit being given the title “President of Georgia.”
The protesters state that the ongoing presidential elections in the Parliament of Georgia are an illegitimate process.
President Salome Zurabishvili has also arrived at Parliament, and police and special forces have been mobilized. Ministry of Internal Affairs personnel are stationed in the area surrounded by iron railings in front of the building.
The police forces are also deployed at Freedom Square, where water cannon vehicles are on standby.
Opposition parties are not participating in the elections because they consider them illegitimate.
Today, on December 14, the electoral college will elect the president of Georgia. Only one candidate, Mikheil Kavelashvili, has been nominated for the position of president, and he will be elected by the electoral college and be the first indirectly elected president in Georgia.
The voting process started at 9:00 a.m. and continue until 2:00 p.m. in the Parliament Palace.
The presence of the majority of the full composition of the electoral college – at least 151 members – is sufficient to conduct indirect elections of a president.
The vote of 2/3 of the full composition of the collegium – at least 200 members – is enough to elect a president.
The indirectly elected president will hold office for five years.
The electoral college has 300 members. The collegium includes: – 150 members of the parliament, all members of the highest representative body of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara – a total of 21 deputies, all 20 members of the highest representative body of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia and 109 members from the city councils.
