President of Georgia

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox official post Template:Sidebar with collapsible lists The president of Georgia (Template:Lang-ka) is the ceremonial head of state of Georgia as well as the commander-in-chief of the Defence Forces. The constitution defines the presidential office as "the guarantor of the country's unity and national independence."<ref>Template:Cite constitution</ref>

The president is largely a figurehead as in many parliamentary democracies but does retain some significant authorities, such as the right to issue pardons. Executive power is vested in the Government and the prime minister. The office was first introduced by the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia on 14 April 1991, five days after Georgia's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union.<ref>Template:In lang The Law of the Republic of Georgia on the Introduction of the Post of President of the Republic of Georgia Template:Webarchive. The Parliament of Georgia Archive. Accessed on 17 April 2011</ref> Currently, the presidential term is five years.

On 14 December 2024, the Georgian Electoral Assembly elected Mikheil Kavelashvili as the new president and inaugurated him on 29 December 2024. It was the first indirect election of the president in Georgia's history after the constitutional amendments changed the electoral system in 2017. Opposition parties, Georgian constitutional experts, as well as parts of the international community consider Kavelashvili's presidency illegitimate and maintain that Salome Zourabichvili continues to be the president.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Qualifications

Any citizen of Georgia having the electoral right, who has attained the age of 35 and who has lived in Georgia for at least 15 years, may be elected President of Georgia.<ref>Template:Cite constitution</ref> The office cannot be held by a citizen of Georgia who is simultaneously the citizen of a foreign country.<ref>Template:Cite constitution</ref> The president of Georgia shall not be a member of a political party.<ref name="cons51">Template:Cite constitution</ref>

Election

According to the 2018 version of Georgia's constitution, starting in 2024, the president is elected for a five-year term by the 300-member Electoral College, consisting of all members of the Parliament of Georgia and of the supreme representative bodies of the autonomous republics of Abkhazia and Adjara, also members from the representative bodies of local self-governments (municipalities). The same person may be elected President of Georgia only twice. No less than 30 members of the Electoral College shall have the right to nominate a candidate for the president of Georgia. The election of the president of Georgia is appointed by the Parliament for October.<ref>Template:Cite constitution</ref>

Impeachment

One third of the total number of the members of Parliament has the right to raise the question of impeachment of the president of Georgia. They can be considered impeached if the decision is supported by at least two thirds of the members of Parliament. The procedure of the impeachment of the president is constitutionally banned during a state of emergency or martial law.<ref>Template:Cite constitution</ref>

Constitutional powers and duties

1. The President of Georgia shall:

a) with the consent of the Government, exercise representative powers in foreign relations, negotiate with other states and international organisations, conclude international treaties, and accept the accreditation of ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives of other states and international organisations; upon nomination by the Government, appoint and dismiss ambassadors and other heads of diplomatic missions of Georgia;

b) conclude a constitutional agreement with the Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia on behalf of the state of Georgia;

c) call the elections of Parliament and local self-government bodies in accordance with the Constitution and the procedures established by the organic law;

d) upon nomination by the Government, appoint and dismiss the Commander of the Defence Forces of Georgia; appoint one member of the High Council of Justice; participate in the appointment of the chairperson and members of the Central Election Commission of Georgia in cases defined by the organic law and in accordance with the established procedure; upon nomination by the Government, submit to Parliament candidates for the membership of the national regulatory bodies;

e) decide on citizenship issues in accordance with the procedures established by the organic law;

f) pardon convicts;

g) in accordance with the procedures established by law, grant state awards and rewards; highest military ranks, special ranks and honorary titles; and highest diplomatic ranks;

h) be entitled, upon recommendation by the Government and with the consent of Parliament, to suspend the activity of a representative body of a territorial unit, or to dissolve such a body, if its activities threaten the sovereignty or territorial integrity of the country, or the exercise of constitutional powers by state bodies;

i) exercise other powers determined by the Constitution.<ref name="auto">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2. The President of Georgia shall have the right to call a referendum on issues defined in the Constitution and law, at the request of the Parliament of Georgia, the Government of Georgia or no less than 200 000 voters, within 30 days after such a request is received. A referendum shall not be held in order to adopt or repeal a law, to grant amnesty or pardon, to ratify or denounce international treaties, or to decide issues that envisage the restriction of fundamental constitutional human rights. Issues related to calling and holding referendums shall be defined by the organic law.<ref name="auto"/>

3. The President of Georgia shall have the right to address the people. The President shall annually submit a report on crucial state-related issues to Parliament.<ref name="auto"/>

Oath

Prior to assuming office, on the third Sunday after the election day, the newly elected president of Georgia addresses the people and is required to take the following oathTemplate:Cn of office:

Immunity

The president of Georgia enjoys immunity. No one shall have the right to detain or bring criminal proceedings against the president of Georgia while in office.<ref name="auto"/> Security of the president of Georgia is provided by the Special State Protection Service.<ref name="ssps1" >History. Special State Protection Service of Georgia. Accessed on 24 April 2011</ref>

Standard

The standard is adapted from the national flag of Georgia, charged in the center with the Georgian coat of arms. Copies of the standard are used inside the president's office, at the Chancellery Building, other state agencies, and as a car flag on vehicles bearing the president within Georgian territory.Template:Citation needed

History of office

File:Orbeliani Palace.jpg

Orbeliani Palace is the official seat of the Georgian President.

After Georgia formally seceded from the Soviet Union on 9 April 1991, the Supreme Council voted, on 14 April, to create the post of executive president, and appointed Zviad Gamsakhurdia to the office pending the holding of direct elections.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the nationwide elections to this post, on 26 May 1991, Gamsakhurdia won a landslide victory, becoming the first president of the Republic of Georgia. Gamsakhurdia was ousted in a military coup d'état on 6 January 1992. He continued to function as a president-in-exile until his death in a failed attempt to regain power on 31 December 1993.

In the post-coup absence of legitimate power, a position of the head of state was introduced for Georgia's new leader Eduard Shevardnadze on 10 March 1992. After the adoption of a new Constitution on 24 August 1995, the post of president was restored. Shevardnadze was elected to presidency on 5 November 1995, and reelected on 9 April 2000. He resigned under pressure of mass demonstrations known as Rose Revolution on 23 November 2003. After Nino Burjanadze's brief tenure as an acting president, Mikheil Saakashvili was elected on 4 January 2004. He did not serve his full first term, but voluntarily resigned to defuse tensions in the aftermath of the 2007 Georgian demonstrations and brought the presidential elections forward from the original date in autumn 2008. He was reelected on 5 January 2008. The president's executive powers were significantly curtailed in favor of the prime minister and the government in a series of amendments passed between 2013 and 2018. After the election of Giorgi Margvelashvili to presidency in October 2013, Georgia finalized its transition to a parliamentary republic. In November 2018, Salome Zourabichvili, became Georgia's first female president in permanent capacity and, according to the new constitution, the last president to be elected by a direct vote.<ref name="civil1">Template:Cite news</ref>

2024 succession dispute

On 13 February 2025, the European Parliament passed a resolution stating that the European Union does not recognize Mikheil Kavelashvili as the legitimate president of Georgia.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Succession and acting president

In the event of the president's resignation, death or impeachment, the chairperson of Parliament will temporarily serve as president until a new president is elected.<ref name="auto"/> There were cases of this in Georgia in 2003 and 2007, in both cases, the president resigned prematurely and was replaced by the chairperson of parliament, before new elections were held. In both cases, the then-chairperson Nino Burjanadze became acting president, so it can be said that she became the first female president of the country. However, the first female president of Georgia who was actually elected in her own right is Salome Zourabichvili.

Administration

Administration of the President of Georgia (Template:Lang-ka, sometimes translated as Presidential Administration of Georgia) is the body supporting and organizing the exercise of the powers defined by the Constitution of Georgia and other legislative acts for the President of Georgia. The Administration of the President of Georgia was established on February 14, 2004 by the Decree No.60 of the President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In its activities, the administration is guided by the Constitution of Georgia, the legislation of Georgia, the statute and other legal acts of the President of Georgia. The structure and rules of operation of the administration are determined by the President of Georgia.

List of officeholders

Presidents

Template:Abbr	Name Template:Small	Portrait	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Election
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| 1	Zviad Gamsakhurdia Template:Small	File:Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Tbilisi, 1988 (3x4 cropped).jpg	14 April 1991	6 January 1992 Template:Small	Template:Age in years and days	Round Table—Free Georgia	1991
The office of the president was vacant from January 6, 1992 to November 26, 1995.Template:Efn
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| 2	Eduard Shevardnadze Template:Small	File:Eduard shevardnadze (cropped).jpg	26 November 1995	23 November 2003 Template:Small	Template:Age in years and days	Union of Citizens of Georgia	1995 2000
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| —	Nino Burjanadze Template:Small Acting	File:Nino Burjanadze (Tbilisi, December 5, 2003) (3x4 cropped).jpg	23 November 2003	25 January 2004	Template:Age in years and days	United National Movement	–
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| 3	Mikheil Saakashvili Template:Small	File:Mikhail Saakashvili, Davos (cropped).jpg	25 January 2004	25 November 2007 Template:Small	Template:Age in years and days	United National Movement	2004
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| —	Nino Burjanadze Template:Small Acting	File:Nino Burdzjanadze 2008.jpg	25 November 2007	20 January 2008	Template:Age in years and days	United National Movement	–
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| Template:Small	Mikheil Saakashvili Template:Small	File:President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili in Tbilisi (3x4 cropped).jpg	20 January 2008	17 November 2013	Template:Age in years and days	United National Movement	2008
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| 4	Giorgi Margvelashvili Template:Small	File:Prasidenten Margvelashvili (3x4 cropped).jpg	17 November 2013	16 December 2018	Template:Age in years and days	Georgian Dream	2013
rowspan="2" style="background:Template:Party color; color:black" | 5	Salome Zourabichvili Template:Small	File:Salome Zourabichvili and Antonio Tajani (cropped) 2.jpg	16 December 2018	29 December 2024	Template:Age in years and days	IndependentTemplate:Efn	2018
Incumbent Template:Small				Template:Age in years and days Template:Small	Resistance PlatformTemplate:Efn
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white" |6	Mikheil Kavelashvili	File:Kavelashvili 2025 (cropped).jpg	29 December 2024	Incumbent Template:Small	Template:Age in years and days Template:Small	People's PowerTemplate:Efn	2024

Chairman of the Supreme Council

Template:Abbr	Name Template:Small	Portrait	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Legislature	Election
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| 1	Zviad Gamsakhurdia Template:Small	File:Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Tbilisi, 1988 (3x4 cropped).jpg	14 November 1990	14 April 1991	Template:Age in years and days	Round Table—Free Georgia	Supreme Council	1990

Interim heads of state (1992–1995)

Template:Abbr	Name Template:Small	Portrait	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Title
rowspan=2 style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;"| —	Jaba Ioseliani (1926–2003)	File:Jaba Ioseliani.png	6 January 1992	10 March 1992	Template:Age in years and days	Mkhedrioni	Co-chairmen of the Military Council
Tengiz Kitovani (1938–2023)	File:Tengiz Kitovani (cropped).jpg	National Guard
style="background:Template:Party color; color:black;" rowspan="3" | —	Eduard Shevardnadze (1928–2014)	File:Eduard shevardnadze (cropped).jpg	10 March 1992	4 November 1992	Template:Age in years and days	Independent	Chairman of the State Council
4 November 1992			6 November 1992	Template:Age in years and days	Chairman of the Parliament
6 November 1992			26 November 1995	Template:Age in years and days	Head of State

President in dissidence (1993)

Template:Abbr	Name Template:Small	Portrait	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party
style="background:Template:Party color; color:white;"| —	Zviad Gamsakhurdia Template:SmallTemplate:Efn	File:Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Tbilisi, 1988 (3x4 cropped).jpg	24 September 1993	6 November 1993	Template:Age in years and days	Round Table—Free Georgia

Notes

Timeline

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    id:INDEPENDENT     value:rgb(0.65, 0.65, 0.65) Legend: Independent
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    id:UNM        value:rgb(0.74, 0, 0) Legend: United_National_Movement
    id:GD        value:rgb(0.15, 0.31, 0.61) Legend: Georgian_Dream
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See also

• Presidential Administration of Georgia
• Prime Minister of Georgia

External links

• Template:Official website of the President of Georgia