It was a straightforward victory for Kavelashvili, given the Georgian Dream party’s control of a 300-seat electoral college that replaced direct presidential elections in 2017.
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00:00Former soccer player and leader of the People's Power Group, Mikheil Kavalashvili is set to
00:07become Georgia's president after Georgian lawmakers voted almost unanimously in favor.
00:13He easily won the vote given that he was the only candidate nominated.
00:18Since the morning before the vote, hundreds of Georgians protested in front of the parliament
00:22building.
00:23It follows the consecutive nightly protests that started two weeks ago after the ruling
00:28Georgian Dream announced it would pause negotiations to join the EU until 2028.
00:35The pause angered many citizens who are in favor of closer ties with the West.
00:40Kavalashvili, who is accused to be a hardline critic of the West, will replace pro-Western
00:46Salome Zurabishvili.
00:49But the outgoing president is determined to stay in office after her term ends.
00:53Opposition parties said they would consider Zurabishvili as the legitimate president,
00:58even after Kavalashvili's inauguration on December 29.
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