President of Georgia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids President of Georgia საქართველოს პრეზიდენტი
Presidential standard
Incumbent Mikheil Kavelashvili Disputed since 29 December 2024
Office of the President of Georgia
Residence	Orbeliani Palace (since Nov 2018)
Appointer	Georgian Electoral Assembly
Term length	Five years, renewable once
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Georgia (1995)
Inaugural holder	Zviad Gamsakhurdia
Formation	14 April 1991 (34 years ago) (1991-04-14)
Deputy	Chairperson of the Parliament
Salary	13,000 GEL (€4,500) per month

The President of Georgia (Georgian: საქართველოს პრეზიდენტი, romanized: sakartvelos p'rezident'i) is like the main representative of the country. They are the head of state and the commander-in-chief of Georgia's military. The country's rulebook, the Constitution, says the president makes sure Georgia stays united and independent.

In Georgia, the president mostly has a symbolic role, similar to a figurehead in many countries with a parliamentary democracy. This means the main power to run the government is with the Prime Minister and the Government. However, the president still has some important duties, like being able to pardon people who have been found guilty of crimes. The job of president was first created on April 14, 1991, shortly after Georgia declared its independence from the Soviet Union. A president serves for five years.

On December 14, 2024, the Georgian Electoral Assembly chose Mikheil Kavelashvili as the new president. He officially started his job on December 29, 2024. This was the first time Georgia's president was chosen indirectly, meaning not by a direct vote from all citizens. This change happened because of new rules added to the Constitution in 2017. Some political groups and experts in Georgia, along with parts of the international community, believe that Kavelashvili's presidency is not fully legitimate. They think that Salome Zourabichvili is still the rightful president.

Who Can Be President?

To become the President of Georgia, a person must be a citizen of Georgia and have the right to vote. They also need to be at least 35 years old and have lived in Georgia for at least 15 years. Someone who is also a citizen of another country cannot be the President of Georgia. Also, the president cannot be a member of any political party while in office.

How the President Is Chosen

Since 2024, the president is chosen for a five-year term by a special group called the Electoral College. This group has 300 members. It includes all members of the Parliament of Georgia, members from the main governing bodies of the regions of Abkhazia and Adjara, and members from local governments. A person can only be elected president twice. At least 30 members of the Electoral College must agree to nominate someone to be a candidate for president. The Parliament sets the presidential election for October.

Removing the President from Office

Members of Parliament can start a process to remove the president from office, which is called impeachment. At least one-third of all Parliament members must agree to start this process. For the president to be removed, at least two-thirds of the Parliament members must vote for it. This impeachment process cannot happen if the country is in a state of emergency or under martial law.

What the President Does

The President of Georgia has several important jobs and powers:

• They represent Georgia in other countries and with international groups, with the government's approval. They can talk with other nations, sign international agreements, and welcome ambassadors from other countries. They also appoint and remove Georgia's own ambassadors.
• They can sign special agreements with the main church of Georgia, the Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church.
• They announce when elections for Parliament and local governments will happen.
• They appoint and remove the leader of Georgia's military, with the government's approval. They also appoint one member to the High Council of Justice. They help choose the chairperson and members of the Central Election Commission. They also suggest candidates for national regulatory bodies to Parliament, based on government nominations.
• They make decisions about who can become a citizen of Georgia.
• They can pardon people who have been found guilty of crimes.
• They give out state awards, military ranks, and special titles.
• They can temporarily stop or even close down a local government body if its actions threaten the country's independence or unity, or if they stop state bodies from doing their jobs. This needs a recommendation from the government and approval from Parliament.
• They also have other duties listed in the Constitution.

The President can also ask for a referendum, which is a public vote on important issues. This can happen if Parliament, the Government, or at least 200,000 voters ask for it. A referendum cannot be used to pass or cancel laws, grant pardons, approve or cancel international agreements, or limit basic human rights.

The President also has the right to speak to the people of Georgia. Every year, the president gives a report to Parliament about important issues facing the country.

Taking the Oath

Before starting their job, the new President of Georgia takes an oath. This happens on the third Sunday after the election. The oath is a promise to the country and its people.

Presidential Protection

The President of Georgia has special protection and cannot be arrested or charged with a crime while in office. The Special State Protection Service is in charge of keeping the president safe.

The Presidential Standard

The presidential standard is a special flag. It looks like the national flag of Georgia, but it has the Georgian coat of arms in the middle. Copies of this flag are used in the president's office, at government buildings, and on cars carrying the president within Georgia.

A Look at Presidential History

The Orbeliani Palace is where the Georgian President works.

After Georgia became independent from the Soviet Union on April 9, 1991, the Supreme Council decided to create the job of executive president on April 14. They appointed Zviad Gamsakhurdia to this role until a public election could be held. On May 26, 1991, Gamsakhurdia won by a lot of votes, becoming Georgia's first president. However, he was removed from power in a military coup on January 6, 1992. He continued to act as president from outside the country until he died on December 31, 1993, during an attempt to get his power back.

After the coup, there was no clear leader. So, on March 10, 1992, a new position called "head of state" was created for Georgia's new leader, Eduard Shevardnadze. When a new Constitution was approved on August 24, 1995, the job of president was brought back. Shevardnadze was elected president on November 5, 1995, and again on April 9, 2000. He resigned on November 23, 2003, because of large public protests known as the Rose Revolution. After Nino Burjanadze briefly served as an acting president, Mikheil Saakashvili was elected on January 4, 2004. He resigned early on November 25, 2007, to help calm tensions after protests. He was re-elected on January 20, 2008.

Between 2013 and 2018, new rules were added to the Constitution. These rules gave more power to the prime minister and the government, and less to the president. After Giorgi Margvelashvili became president in October 2013, Georgia officially became a parliamentary republic. This means the prime minister and parliament have most of the power. In November 2018, Salome Zourabichvili became Georgia's first female president. According to the new Constitution, she was the last president to be chosen by a direct vote from the people.

Recent Presidential Dispute

This section is transcluded from 2024 Georgian constitutional crisis

On February 13, 2025, the European Parliament passed a resolution. This resolution stated that the European Union does not recognize Mikheil Kavelashvili as the legitimate president of Georgia.

What Happens if the President Can't Serve?

If the president resigns, dies, or is removed from office, the Chairperson of Parliament temporarily takes over as president. They serve until a new president can be elected. This happened in Georgia in 2003 and 2007. In both cases, the president resigned early, and the Chairperson of Parliament, Nino Burjanadze, became the acting president. She was the first woman to serve as acting president. However, Salome Zourabichvili was the first woman to be officially elected president by the people.

Presidential Administration

Administration of the President of Georgia

Georgian: საქართველოს პრეზიდენტის ადმინისტრაცია
Logo of the Administration featuring Orbeliani Palace
Agency overview
Formed	February 14, 2004; 21 years ago (2004-02-14)
Headquarters	Orbeliani Palace, Tbilisi
Agency executive	Vacant, Chief of the Administration

The Administration of the President of Georgia (Georgian: საქართველოს პრეზიდენტის ადმინისტრაცია, romanized: sakartvelos p'rezident'is administ'ratsia) is a group that helps the President do their job. It supports and organizes all the tasks and powers given to the President by the Constitution and other laws. This Administration was created on February 14, 2004, by a decision from President Mikheil Saakashvili. It follows the Constitution and other laws of Georgia. The President decides how the Administration is set up and how it works.

List of Presidents

For leaders before independence, see List of leaders of Georgia (country).

Presidents of Georgia

No.	Name (Born–Died)	Picture	Started Office	Left Office	Time in Office	Party	Election
1	Zviad Gamsakhurdia (1939–1993)		April 14, 1991	January 6, 1992 (Removed from power)	267 days	Round Table—Free Georgia	1991
The president's office was empty from January 6, 1992, to November 26, 1995.
2	Eduard Shevardnadze (1928–2014)		November 26, 1995	November 23, 2003 (Forced to resign)	7 years, 362 days	Union of Citizens of Georgia	1995 2000
—	Nino Burjanadze (b. 1964) Acting		November 23, 2003	January 25, 2004	63 days	United National Movement	–
3	Mikheil Saakashvili (b. 1967)		January 25, 2004	November 25, 2007 (Resigned)	3 years, 304 days	United National Movement	2004
—	Nino Burjanadze (b. 1964) Acting		November 25, 2007	January 20, 2008	56 days	United National Movement	–
(3)	Mikheil Saakashvili (b. 1967)		January 20, 2008	November 17, 2013	5 years, 301 days	United National Movement	2008
4	Giorgi Margvelashvili (b. 1969)		November 17, 2013	December 16, 2018	5 years, 29 days	Georgian Dream	2013
5	Salome Zourabichvili (b. 1952)		December 16, 2018	December 29, 2024	6 years, 13 days	Independent	2018
				Incumbent (Disputed)	6 years, 218 days (Disputed)
6	Mikheil Kavelashvili (b. 1971)		December 29, 2024	Incumbent (Disputed)	205 days (Disputed)	People's Power	2024

Chairman of the Supreme Council

No.	Name (Born–Died)	Picture	Started Office	Left Office	Time in Office	Party	Legislature	Election
1	Zviad Gamsakhurdia (1939–1993)		November 14, 1990	April 14, 1991	151 days	Round Table—Free Georgia	Supreme Council	1990

Interim Heads of State (1992–1995)

No.	Name (Born–Died)	Picture	Started Office	Left Office	Time in Office	Party	Title
—	Jaba Ioseliani (1926–2003)		January 6, 1992	March 10, 1992	64 days	Mkhedrioni	Co-chairmen of the Military Council
	Tengiz Kitovani (1938–2023)					National Guard
—	Eduard Shevardnadze (1928–2014)		March 10, 1992	November 4, 1992	239 days	Independent	Chairman of the State Council
			November 4, 1992	November 6, 1992	2 days		Chairman of the Parliament
			November 6, 1992	November 26, 1995	3 years, 20 days		Head of State

President in Dissidence (1993)

No.	Name (Born–Died)	Picture	Started Office	Left Office	Time in Office	Party
—	Zviad Gamsakhurdia (1939–1993)		September 24, 1993	November 6, 1993	43 days	Round Table—Free Georgia

Timeline of Presidents

See also

In Spanish: Presidente de Georgia para niños

• Presidential Administration of Georgia
• Prime Minister of Georgia