On Tuesday, the parliament of Georgia scheduled a date for both national and local lawmakers to select a new president, allowing the ruling Georgian Dream party to nominate an ally after its contentious electoral win.

The announcement follows the October 26 general election, in which Georgian Dream triumphed; however, the opposition claims the election was marred by widespread fraud. The current president, Salome Zourabichvili, has publicly dismissed the election results. According to observers from Europe, the electoral process took place in an environment described as “divisive,” characterized by reports of bribery, incidents of double voting, and occurrences of physical violence.

Many citizens of Georgia perceived the election as a referendum on the nation’s aspirations to join the European Union.

A newly established 300-member electoral college, composed of parliament members, municipal councilors, and representatives from regional legislatures, is set to elect the new president on December 14. This process is a significant shift, as it marks the first time since the constitutional reforms in 2017 that eliminated direct presidential elections.

With a parliamentary majority, Georgian Dream is anticipated to appoint an ally to succeed Zourabichvili.

Zourabichvili, who was elected through popular vote in 2018, will see her six-year term conclude in December, while the forthcoming president will serve a five-year term.

Critics have raised concerns about the Georgian Dream party — founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire with ties to Russia — alleging that it has become progressively authoritarian and increasingly aligned with Moscow. Recently, the party has enacted legislation akin to Russian laws aimed at suppressing freedom of speech and LGBTQ+ rights.

In June, the European Union halted Georgia’s application for membership indefinitely, following the passage of a controversial law requiring organizations that obtain over 20% of their funding from abroad to register as entities “pursuing the interest of a foreign power,” paralleling a similar Russian law that attempts to undermine organizations critical of the government.