Georgia's ruling party on Saturday installed a far-right loyalist as the country's president in a controversial election process amid a constitutional crisis and after weeks of mass pro-EU protests.

An electoral college, controlled by the ruling Georgian Dream party and boycotted by the opposition, elected former Manchester City striker Mikheil Kavelashvili with 224 votes as the country's next figurehead leader for a five-year term, central election commission chair Giorgi Kalandarishvili said.

The sitting president Salome Zurabishvili has declared the vote "illegitimate" and refused to step down. (AFP)