Tens of thousands of Georgians took to the streets across Tbilisi on December 13, paralysing the capital’s main traffic arteries on the eve of the country’s sixth presidential election.

Many view the vote as an attempt by the ruling Georgian Dream party (GD) to capture Georgia’s only remaining liberal institution through the installation of a loyal “puppet” president and the forced removal of the incumbent, pro-Western Salome Zourabichvili who, despite her term being nearly up, has declared she is Georgia’s “only legitimate state institution” and will remain in office.

Citing fraud in the recent parliamentary elections, Zourabichvili, like the demonstrators, does not recognise the current Georgian Dream government as legitimate, meaning the December 14 presidential elections would also be illegitimate, as would any newly elected head of state.

Capital paralysed

17 separate protests brought Tbilisi to a standstill for much of the day on December 13. Various groups and communities marched from different points across the city as part of nationwide demonstrations. The scale of participation was unprecedented, and the tactic of staging multiple demonstrations across the city meant people could join more easily.

The action in the capital included a mass walkout from workplaces which lasted from 1-2pm local time and caused a blockade on the central Chavchavadze Avenue.

Representatives of the IT, HR and financial sectors united on Rustaveli Avenue and led a march north to Republic Square. Simultaneously, those in marketing, PR and the creative industry marched from Vake park in the west to Rustaveli. All the groups are expected to converge on the evening of December 13 for the nightly 7pm rally outside the parliament building, inside which the vote on the new head of state will be held on December 14.

Sole candidate

Under controversial constitutional reforms adopted by the GD supermajority parliament in 2017, the new president will be chosen by a 300-member electoral college comprised of 150 MPs and 150 municipal government representatives, rather than directly elected by a public vote, as the last five heads of state were. 

GD has nominated party loyalist Mikheil Kavelashvili as its presidential candidate. Kavelashvili is a former footballer and member of the far-right GD splinter group, People's Power. As the sole candidate, he is guaranteed the post, owing to the ruling majority GD enjoys in the electoral college.

Zourabichvili, who rejects GD’s parliamentary majority, has said she will not step down until new parliamentary elections are held. GD has said the incumbent president will have to vacate Orbeliani Palace, the presidential residency in Tbilisi, by December 29, when the new head of state is due to be inaugurated.

At protests on December 13 demonstrators’ demands remained the same as they have been throughout the ongoing resistance movement: a new round of parliamentary elections under international supervision and the release of those detained during protests.

Georgia’s pro-Western opposition MPs, who would be entitled to vote as part of the electoral college, have announced they are boycotting Saturday’s election, just as they boycotted the newly elected parliament following the October 26 parliamentary vote, declaring GD won its 54% majority through widespread rigging.

On the eve of the elections, the parliament speaker, Shalva Papuashvili, confirmed that proceedings on December 14 would be led by the Central Election Commission, beginning at 9am in parliament and lasting until 2pm.

Tense situation 

The situation ahead of the presidential vote is extremely tense. December 13 is the sixteenth consecutive day of anti-government protests since Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced a suspension of accession negotiations with the EU on November 28. 

Demonstrators in Tbilisi have been subjected to violent crackdowns by police, who have detained over 450 and physically assaulted over 300. Meanwhile, the government has thanked law enforcement and accused protesters of inciting violence. On December 11, the State Security Service warned of an escalation in tensions by “local criminal actors” on December 14, which it described as an attempt to disrupt the elections and “artificially trigger a government crisis”. 

According to posts on social media, Georgians plan to gather as early as 7am on the morning of December 14 and will march from the Tbilisi Concert Hall on Melikishvili street down to the parliament building on Rustaveli.