Lack of public information on education of ruling party’s presidential nominee raises questions

Mikheil Kavelashvili, the presidential candidate nominated by the ruling Georgian Dream party on Wednesday, has no publicly available information regarding his education, sparking interest and concern.

While biographical data of Georgian MPs typically includes details about their education and professional experience, Kavelashvili’s profile on the parliamentary website omits any information about his academic background.

This lack of transparency has been highlighted by the Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information, which sought to clarify whether Kavelashvili possesses documents confirming his higher education.

The Georgian Parliament’s response to the inquiry revealed that it does not have any records to verify his educational qualifications.

Kavelashvili, a member of parliament since 2016, has represented the Georgian Dream in the 9th, 10th, and 11th convocations.

His lack of a higher education certificate has previously been a point of contention.

In 2015, he was barred from running for president of the Georgian Football Federation due to the absence of a higher education document, a situation he claimed was an unjust decision, which he sought to challenge in court.

Although the position of Georgian president does not require a higher education qualification, this issue has raised eyebrows given the role’s prominence.

In addition to his political career, Kavelashvili has been associated with the People’s Power movement, a group founded in 2022 that has been outspoken in its anti-Western stance.

The movement, which played a key role in the controversial foreign influence transparency law initiative, has been accused of distancing Georgia from European integration and drawing criticism from Western partners.