The presidential elections in Georgia will be held on December 14 in the Parliament building, with the inauguration scheduled for December 29. The decision was approved by 80 votes in favor during a parliamentary session by members of the ruling Georgian Dream party. If a second round of elections is necessary, it will also take place on December 14.

According to the Speaker of Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, it is essential for the elections and inauguration to occur this year to ensure that the president's term of office remains five years, not six.

Earlier, the opposition channel Mtavari reported that the candidacies of Georgian Dream Chairman Irakli Garibashvili and Konstantin Gamsakhurdia, the son of Georgia’s first president Zviad Gamsakhurdia, were being considered for the presidency. However, Mamuka Mdinaradze, one of the leaders of the ruling party, denied this claim.

It was also announced today that the updated composition of the government will be approved at a parliamentary session on Thursday, November 28. Notably, the legitimacy of the Parliament is not recognized by current President Salome Zourabichvili or opposition parties.

The opposition party For Georgia, led by former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, has announced its refusal to participate in the presidential elections scheduled for December 14. Gakharia made the announcement during a briefing, stating:
"The illegal Parliament has grossly violated the established deadlines by scheduling the presidential elections for December 14 and the inauguration for December 29. Since the first session of this Parliament was held without international legitimacy and without the participation of representatives of the diplomatic corps, representatives of the international democratic community should not attend the presidential inauguration on December 29. Otherwise, Ivanishvili will attempt to use this to legitimize falsified elections, the illegal Parliament, the illegitimate government, and the illegally elected president, thereby consolidating his authoritarian regime."

Representatives of Gakharia's party have the right to participate in the elections both as members of Parliament—which they do not recognize as legitimate—and under a quota from local government bodies, as determined by the Central Election Commission (CEC).

According to Gakharia, For Georgia holds the third-largest number of votes in the electoral college, after Georgian Dream and the National Movement. He also urged other opposition parties not to take part in what he referred to as the “illegal process of electing the president.”

Under the Constitution, the Electoral Board consists of 300 members, including 150 members of Parliament, representatives of the Supreme Councils of Adjara and the Abkhaz Autonomous Republic (in exile). This year, 109 members of the Board will be selected from local self-government representative bodies, with nominations made by political parties in accordance with quotas set by the Central Election Commission. These quotas are determined based on the principle of proportional geographic representation and reflect the results of the 2021 local self-government elections. The final composition of the Electoral Board will be approved by the Central Election Commission.