TBILISI -- The mayor of Tbilisi postponed a Christmas tree lighting, citing concerns that anti-government protests would turn violent after an electoral college dominated by the ruling Georgian Dream party appointed far-right politician and former soccer star Mikheil Kavelashvili as president.
Police have clashed with protesters for over two weeks, detaining dozens and injuring scores of people who accuse the government of moving Georgia away from the EU and closer to Russia.
Mayor Kakha Kaladze announced the postponement on December 14 at a briefing at the government administration building a few minutes before the event was scheduled to begin.
About an hour earlier, hundreds of police were deployed and New Year's lights were turned on on the facade of the parliament building, but they were switched off after Kaladze announced the postponement of the tree lighting.
The decision came after Kavelashvili was declared by Georgia's Central Election Commission as the winner of a contentious indirect election after receiving 224 votes out of 225 delegates in attendance.
SEE ALSO: The Bitter Standoff Over Georgia's Next PresidentThere are a total of 300 delegates in Georgia's electoral college, but opposition members did not attend the vote, which came as demonstrators gathered in Tbilisi for the 17th straight day to protest parliamentary elections held on October 26 that the country's current president and opposition have refused to accept and say were rigged.
Areas near the parliament building were cordoned off and traffic halted ahead of the vote that chose Kavelashvili, 53, for the largely ceremonial post.
Kavelashvili, known for his vehement anti-Western diatribes and opposition to LGBT rights, is now set to replace President Salome Zurabishvili, who has sided with pro-EU protesters.
Zurabishvili, who has been a thorn in the ruling party's side and has criticized Georgian Dream for its increasingly authoritarian stance, has said she will refuse to leave office after her successor is inaugurated on December 29.
She told a press conference on December 13 that the election of a new president "will be an event entirely devoid of legitimacy, unconstitutional, and illegitimate."
The 72-year-old has previously said the elections in October were manipulated with the help of Russia.
Your browser doesn’t support HTML5
'Targets': Georgian Journalists Beaten By Masked Men Amid Ongoing Protests (Video)
The political crisis erupted after Georgian Dream claimed victory in the elections and intensified after its decision last month to delay negotiations on Georgia joining the European Union.
The authorities have responded violently to the large demonstrations, arresting hundreds of people over the past two weeks and closely watching participants with Chinese-made surveillance cameras with facial-recognition capabilities.
Protesters gathered early on December 14 near the Philharmonic Hall and began marching toward the parliament building as traffic on central Rustaveli Avenue, which links the two sites, was halted and police were mobilized.
Zurabishvili made a brief appearance on Rustaveli Avenue but told gathered journalists only that "I've said everything, I am going to work now."
WATCH: Georgian protester Anamaria Tavartkiladze has volunteered to decorate the country's main Christmas tree with images of people beaten during recent demonstrations.
Your browser doesn’t support HTML5
Georgian Activist Decorates Tbilisi Christmas Tree With Images Of People Beaten At Protests
The protesters chanted "Salome! Salome!" and displayed their diplomas in keeping with calls for them to "show your diploma to Kavelashvili," who reportedly does not have higher education.
They also mockingly held up "red cards" against the former soccer star in a nod to penalties handed out for infractions in the sport.
The recent violence against the opposition and journalists has drawn condemnation from the United States and the European Union.
Your browser doesn’t support HTML5
What's Next For Georgia? Four Possible Scenarios: From Snap Elections To Bigger Protests (Video)
Michael Roth, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Germany's Bundestag, said on X that the "election" of Kavelishvili "is another step towards the 'Gleichschaltung' of all constitutional institutions in Georgia."
"Gleichschaltung" was a word used by the Nazis to describe their consolidation of power in Germany.
He added that the election of Kavelishvili "deepens the division of Georgia," and that Zurabishvili remains the legitimate president of the country.
In power since 2012, Georgian Dream was founded by Russian-friendly billionaire and ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili.
After the announcement of Kavelashvili's victory, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze congratulated him and said his election would mark a turning point for the country.
"For more than 20 years, Georgia has not had a patriotic, morally, and psychologically balanced person as president," Kobakhidze said in a statement.
Kavelashvili's win "will make a significant contribution to strengthening Georgia's statehood and our sovereignty, as well as reducing radicalism and so-called polarization."
Kobakhidze referred to the opposition as "radical" and claimed that the protests during the election process had been poorly attended.
He also alluded to dramatic pro-EU protests in Ukraine in 2014 on Kyiv's central square, the Maidan, which succeeded in toppling the country's pro-Russian president.
"In Georgia, the 'Maidan' has failed and will never succeed," Kobakhidze vowed.