TBILISI, November 25. /TASS/. The Georgian president's election and inauguration must occur this year, Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili stated.

"To ensure a five-year presidential term, it is essential that both the election and inauguration happen within this year," Papuashvili explained.

The spokesman also added that the parliament will determine the exact date of the election on Tuesday.

Earlier, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze suggested the presidential election might be held in January 2025. Georgia's current president, Salome Zourabichvili, was elected in 2018 for a six-year term ending this fall. According to recent constitutional amendments, the next president will be elected by a 300-member panel, including parliament members and local authority representatives, after the parliamentary elections on October 26, for a five-year term.