On October 28, Georgia is holding a presidential vote that will be its last direct presidential election, Sputnik reported.
The Central Election Commission of Georgia has registered 25 candidates, with 19 of those nominated by parties and the remaining six picked by initiative groups.
Former Georgian Foreign Minister Salome Zurabishvili, supported by the ruling Georgian Dream party and running as an independent candidate, is believed to be the main contender for the post. Her top rival is opposition candidate Grigol Vashadze.
Incumbent President Giorgi Margvelashvili is not running for re-election.
For the following tenures, the choice will be made by a special panel consisting of 150 lawmakers and 150 regional representatives. A series of constitutional amendments, the most recent of which passed last year, limited the powers of the head of state and expanded the mandates of the prime minister and the parliament.
The next president will remain the commander-in-chief, retain the right to veto bills, confer citizenship and pardon prisoners, but will have to coordinate other decisions with the prime minister.