President of Georgia

President of Georgia საქართველოს პრეზიდენტი
Official Standard
Incumbent Mikheil Saakashvili since January 25, 2004
Appointer	Direct popular vote
Term length	Five years, renewable once, consecutively
Inaugural holder	Zviad Gamsakhurdia
Formation	April 14, 1991
Website	president.gov.ge

Georgia

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Georgia

Constitution Constitution Constitutional court Human rights Executive President Mikheil Saakashvili Prime Minister Nikoloz Gilauri Cabinet of Ministers Legislature Parliament Speaker David Bakradze Judiciary Supreme court Divisions Divisions Regions Districts Election Elections in Georgia Parliamentary: 2003 - 2004 - 2008 Presidential: 2004 - 2008 Political parties Foreign relations Foreign relations Georgia and NATO Georgia and the EU Georgia and Russia See also Rose Revolution UNOMIG Politics of Abkhazia Politics of South Ossetia

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The President of Georgia (Georgian: საქართველოს პრეზიდენტი, sakartvelos prezidenti) is the head of state, supreme commander-in-chief and holder of the highest office within the Government of Georgia. Executive power is split between the President and the Prime Minister, who is the head of government. The office was first introduced by the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia on April 14, 1991, 5 days after Georgia's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union.^[1] The President serves a five-year term. The incumbent is Mikheil Saakashvili.

[edit] Constitutional powers and duties

The President of Georgia is Head of State and the head of executive power. The President directs and implements domestic and foreign policy, ensures the unity and territorial integrity of the country, and supervises the activities of state bodies in accordance with the Constitution. The President is the supreme representative of Georgia in foreign relations.^[2]

The President of Georgia is elected on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot, for a period of five years. The President may not be elected for more than two consecutive terms. Any citizen of Georgia who has the right to vote and who has attained the age of 35 years and lived in Georgia for no less than 15 years, is eligible to be elected President. The President of Georgia shall not have the right to hold any other position except for a party position, engage in entrepreneurial activity, receive salary or another permanent remuneration for any other activity.^[2]

The President of Georgia concludes international treaties and agreements and conducts negotiations with foreign states; with the consent of Parliament, appoints and dismisses Georgian ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives; receives the credentials of ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives of foreign states and international organizations; with the consent of Parliament, appoints Prime Minister and members of the Government; is empowered to remove ministers from their posts; submits to Parliament the draft state budget, after agreeing upon its basic content with parliamentary committees; declares a martial law and state of emergency; with the consent of Parliament has the right to halt the activities of representative bodies of self-government or territorial units as well as of state bodies; signs and promulgates laws; has the right to dissolve Parliament under certain conditions set by the Constitution; decides questions of citizenship and the granting of political asylum; grants pardons; schedules elections to Parliament and other representative bodies; has the right to revoke acts of subordinate executive bodies; is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces; and appoints members of the National Security Council, chairs its meetings, and appoints and dismisses military commanders.^[2]

The President enjoys immunity. During his/her period in office, he/she may not arrested, and no criminal proceedings may be instigated against him/her. In the event that the President violates the Constitution, betrays the state or commits other crimes, Parliament may remove him/her from office with the approval of the Constitutional Court or the Supreme Court.^[2] Security of the President of Georgia is provided by the Special State Protection Service.^[3]

[edit] Oath of office

On the third Sunday after the presidential elections the inauguration is held. The President takes an oath before God and the Nation:^[2]

[edit] Standard

The standard is the adapted national flag of Georgia, charged in the center with the Georgian coat of arms. Copies of the standard are used inside his office, at the Chancellary Building, other state agencies, and while the president is traveling in a vehicle inside Georgia.

[edit] History of office

Residence of President of Georgia in Tbilisi

After Georgia formally seceded from the Soviet Union on April 9, 1991, the Supreme Council voted, on April 14, to create the post of executive President, and appointed Zviad Gamsakhurdia to the office pending the holding of direct elections. In the nationwide elections to this post, on May 26, 1991, Gamsakhurdia won a landslide victory, becoming the first President of the Republic of Georgia. Gamsakhurdia was ousted in a military coup d’etat in January 1992. He continued to function as a president-in-exile until his death in a failed attempt to regain power in 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 March 10, 1992. After the adoption of a new Constitution on August 24, 1995, the post of President was restored. Shevardnadze was elected to presidency on November 5, 1995, and reelected on April 9, 2000. He resigned under pressure of mass demonstrations known as Rose Revolution on November 23, 2003. After Nino Burjanadze’s brief tenure as an Acting President, Mikheil Saakashvili was elected on January 4, 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 January 5, 2008.

[edit] List of Presidents of Georgia

For leaders before independence, see List of leaders of Georgia

[edit] Presidents

#	Name	Picture	Took office	Left office	Political Party	Term
1	Zviad Gamsakhurdia		April 14, 1991 (Appointed) May 26, 1991 (Inaugurated)	January 6, 1992 (Declared deposed) December 31, 1993 (Died while formally in office)	Round Table-Free Georgia	1
2	Eduard Shevardnadze		November 26, 1995 (Inaugurated)	April 30, 2000	Union of Citizens of Georgia	1
April 30, 2000 (Inaugurated)	November 23, 2003 (Resigned)	2
Nino Burjanadze (Acting)		November 23, 2003	January 25, 2004	United National Movement
3	Mikheil Saakashvili		January 25, 2004 (Inaugurated)	November 25, 2007	United National Movement	1
Nino Burjanadze (Acting)		November 25, 2007	January 20, 2008
Mikheil Saakashvili		January 20, 2008 (Inaugurated)	Incumbent End of term: 2013	2

[edit] See also

• Presidential Administration of Georgia

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Site of the President of Georgia