"[3] The president is largely a figurehead as in many parliamentary democracies but does retain some significant authorities, such as the right to issue pardons.

[8] According to the 2018 version of Georgia's constitution, starting in 2024, the president is elected for a five-year term by the 300-member Electoral College, consisting of all members of the Parliament of Georgia and of the supreme representative bodies of the autonomous republics of Abkhazia and Adjara, also members from the representative bodies of local self-governments (municipalities).

[9] One third of the total number of the members of Parliament has the right to raise the question of impeachment of the president of Georgia.

The President of Georgia shall: a) with the consent of the Government, exercise representative powers in foreign relations, negotiate with other states and international organisations, conclude international treaties, and accept the accreditation of ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives of other states and international organisations; upon nomination by the Government, appoint and dismiss ambassadors and other heads of diplomatic missions of Georgia; b) conclude a constitutional agreement with the Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia on behalf of the state of Georgia; c) call the elections of Parliament and local self-government bodies in accordance with the Constitution and the procedures established by the organic law; d) upon nomination by the Government, appoint and dismiss the Commander of the Defence Forces of Georgia; appoint one member of the High Council of Justice; participate in the appointment of the chairperson and members of the Central Election Commission of Georgia in cases defined by the organic law and in accordance with the established procedure; upon nomination by the Government, submit to Parliament candidates for the membership of the national regulatory bodies; e) decide on citizenship issues in accordance with the procedures established by the organic law; f) pardon convicts; g) in accordance with the procedures established by law, grant state awards and rewards; highest military ranks, special ranks and honorary titles; and highest diplomatic ranks; h) be entitled, upon recommendation by the Government and with the consent of Parliament, to suspend the activity of a representative body of a territorial unit, or to dissolve such a body, if its activities threaten the sovereignty or territorial integrity of the country, or the exercise of constitutional powers by state bodies; i) exercise other powers determined by the Constitution.

A referendum shall not be held in order to adopt or repeal a law, to grant amnesty or pardon, to ratify or denounce international treaties, or to decide issues that envisage the restriction of fundamental constitutional human rights.

[13][14] In the nationwide elections to this post, on 26 May 1991, Gamsakhurdia won a landslide victory, becoming the first president of the Republic of Georgia.

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 10 March 1992.

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.

The president's executive powers were significantly curtailed in favor of the prime minister and the government in a series of amendments passed between 2013 and 2018.

Georgia is currently undergoing a constitutional crisis due to the disputed legitimacy of the October 2024 Georgian parliamentary election, which was conducted with significant irregularities and described by observers as "fundamentally flawed".

[16] The crisis continued with the unconstitutional self-convening of Parliament[17][18] and escalated with the decision of the ruling party to suspend preparations for EU accession negotiations,[19] which was seen as contradicting Article 78 of the Georgian Constitution.

[19] The crisis entered another phase with the election of a new president by the disputed Parliament[20] and its 29 December 2024 inauguration of Mikheil Kavelashvili.