Kavelashvili took the oath on the Bible and the Constitution of Georgia in the plenary hall of Parliament in a solemn atmosphere. Present at the ceremony were parliamentarians, representatives of the Georgian Orthodox Church and other religious denominations, and the heads of the Constitutional and Supreme Courts.

On December 14, the Georgian Parliament held presidential elections. It was the first indirect election of the head of the republic.

The voting was conducted by an electoral college consisting of lawmakers, members of the Supreme Councils of Adjara and Abkhazia, and deputies of municipal authorities.

Kavelashvili, who was nominated by the ruling Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia Party, was the only candidate and won 224 of all 300 votes, thus becaming the sixth president of the republic.

It was previously reported that former President Salome Zuabishvili, despite having threatened to remain in the presidential residence, left the palace and addressed her supporters.

The protesters, who had gathered in front of the building since morning, greeted Zurabishvili. Earlier, the former president had held a briefing in which she said that she would not remain in the presidential palace.

After speaking to the protesters, Zurabishvili got into a car accompanied by security guards and left the territory adjacent to the Presidential Palace.

jg/mem/gfa