Mikheil Kavilashvili, an anti-Western politician, assumed the presidency of Georgia after taking the constitutional oath on Sunday, amidst widespread protests in the capital, Tbilisi, against the results of the parliamentary elections.

The opposition considers Kavilashvili to be an “illegitimate” president, while the outgoing president, Salome Zurabishvili, confirmed that she remains the “only legitimate president” of the country.

Georgia has been facing a political crisis since the parliamentary elections in October, which were won by the ruling party and described by the opposition as fraudulent.