Mikheil Kavelashvili sworn in as Georgia's new president as his pro-EU predecessor refuses to recognize his legitimacy.
Mikheil Kavelashvili has been sworn in as Georgia's president in a ceremony at parliament in the capital, Tbilisi, amid weeks of protests and his pro-Western predecessor's refusal to stand aside.
Outgoing President Salomé Zourabichvili said Sunday in a defiant speech before hundreds of supporters outside the presidential palace that she was leaving the residence but remained the legitimate incumbent.
“This travesty, which is currently being performed in Parliament, is a real travesty that the country does not deserve,” said Zourabichvili.
She added that Kavelashvili was not properly elected, as the legislators who elected him were elected in an October parliamentary election that she said was marked by fraud.
The pro-European Union leader and protesters demand a new vote to replace the elections in question.
The ruling Georgian Dream party and the country's electoral commission say October's elections were free and fair.
Kavelashvili, a 53-year-old former national footballer, took the oath on the Bible and the Georgian constitution, swearing to serve the country's interests in the midst of a political crisis.
According to local media reports, there were no major protests outside the parliamentary buildings while Kavelashvili was taking the oath of office.
Duly elected president
The ruling party, which controls parliament, also says Kavelashvili is the duly elected president.
The Georgian Dream party had threatened Zourabichvili with prison if he refused to leave the presidential residence in central Tbilisi.
The Georgian Dream-led government froze talks on applying for EU membership in a move that sparked widespread protests.
Georgian Dream's opponents accuse him of steering Tbilisi toward Moscow rather than the Caucasus country's long-standing goal of joining the EU.
