After being nominated as a presidential candidate, Mikheil Kavelashvili thanked Bidzina Ivanishvili for "placing his trust in him" and stated that he "understands the great responsibility that comes with the position of President of Georgia."
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"First of all, I would like to begin by expressing my gratitude. A special thanks to Mr Bidzina Ivanishvili, a to be proud of and distinguished individual for us. I have always said that I am proud and honored to defend our country alongside this person during such a difficult and challenging era, and I am truly grateful for this trust. I also want to extend my gratitude to my comrades, the majority, and every member of the majority for their declaration of trust.
Of course, I fully recognize the immense responsibility that comes with the position of President of Georgia, especially given the context where, unfortunately, the current President has directly insulted and ignored our foundational document - the Constitution of Georgia - and continues to violate it today.
This has led to a divided society, with radicalization and polarization being fueled, particularly as our adversaries seek to intensify this process. Therefore, one of my primary goals and missions will be to restore the institution of the presidency to its constitutional framework.
We have a sound constitution and a responsible institution of the president. Most importantly, the President of Georgia must be someone who is non-partisan and can unite society.
In Georgia, we have not been taught that hatred divides and opposes people. On the contrary, love unites. I sincerely want to tell you - and I promise you - that I truly love my homeland and my country, and
I will do everything in my power to unite Georgian society around our national interests, our identity, our values, and the idea of Georgia's independence.
I am confident that society will support us, and together, we will make our homeland, Georgia, even stronger. May God protect us, and may the Lord watch over our country. Thank you very much for your attention, and take care." [Style is reserved.]
Kavelashvili is a former football player, a member of parliament for two terms, and one of the leaders of the People’s Power party, which is known for its anti-Western stance. In 2016, Kavelashvili was elected as a majoritarian MP from the Georgian Dream party in Sanzona, and in the 2020 parliament, he served as a majoritarian MP from Nadzaladevi. For the 2024 elections, he, like other members of the People’s Power. was included in the party list of Georgian Dream. On November 25, after the Georgian Dream party convened for a session of the 11th Convocation Parliament, Mikheil Kavelashvili was declared an illegitimate member of parliament.
Aged 53, Mikheil Kavelashvili is a former striker for the Georgian national team. From 1988 to 1995, he played for Dinamo Tbilisi. Over the years, he has also played for clubs such as Manchester City, Grasshopper, Zurich, and Lucerne. In 2015, Kavelashvili aimed to become the president of the Football Federation and, as he stated, intended to challenge in court the Federation's charter, which required presidential candidates to hold a higher education degree. To this day, no document has been publicly found (including on the parliament's website) to confirm Kavelashvili's higher education.
