Aslan Abashidze

Aslan Abashidze (Georgian: ასლან აბაშიძე) (born July 20, 1938) was the leader of the Ajarian Autonomous Republic in western Georgia from 1991 to May 5, 2004. Image File history File links AslanAbashidze. ... Image File history File links AslanAbashidze. ... July 20 is the 201st day (202nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 164 days remaining. ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Official language Georgian Capital Batumi ISO code GE.AJ Head of the Government Levan Varshalomidze Area  - Total  - % water 2,900 km² n/a Population  - Total (1989)  - Density 392,432 135. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (126th in leap years). ... It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in...

Abashidze was born into a renowned Muslim Ajarian family. His grandfather Memed Abashidze was a famous writer and member of the Parliament of the Democratic Republic of Georgia between 1918-1921, but was shot on Stalin's orders in 1937. His father was sent to the Gulag for ten years but survived. Despite a difficult childhood, during the 1950s Abashidze was able to obtain degrees in history and philosophy at Batumi University and in economics at Tbilisi State University. He worked as a teacher and economist for a period before joining Georgia's regional public service. He was the director of several technical service institutes before being named a regional minister in Batumi, the capital of Ajaria, where he served as Minister of Community Service. He was later appointed the national First Deputy Minister of Community Service and moved to Tbilisi. This was, however, a relatively minor government post. The Democratic Republic of Georgia (DRG. საქართველოს დემოკრატიული რესპუბლიკა (Sakartvelos Demokratiuli Respublika) in Georgian, 1918-1921) was the first modern establishment of a Republic of Georgia. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Iosif (usually anglicized as Joseph) Vissarionovich Stalin (Russian: Иосиф Виссарионович Сталин), original name Ioseb Jughashvili (Georgian: იოსებ ჯუღაშვილი; see Other names section) (December 21, 1879[1] – March 5, 1953) was a Bolshevik revolutionary and leader of the Soviet Union. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Gulag (Russian: ГУЛАГ (help· info)) is an acronym for Главное Управление Исправительно—Трудовых Лагерей и колоний, Glavnoye Upravleniye Ispravitelno-trudovykh Lagerey i kolonii, The Chief Directorate [or Administration] of Corrective Labour Camps and Colonies of the NKVD. Anne Applebaum, in her book Gulag: A History, explains: Literally, the word GULAG is an acronym, meaning Glavnoe Upravlenie Lagerei, or... // Events and No. ... Tbilisi Ivane Javakhishvili State University (TSU, Georgian თბილისის სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი) was established on January 26, 1918, in Tbilisi (capital of the Republic of Georgia). ... Tbilisi (Georgian თბილისი) is the capital city of the country of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura (Mtkvari) river, at 41°43′N 44°47′E. Tbilisi is still sometimes known by its former Turkish name of Tiflis. ...

Abashidze and independent Georgia

When Georgia regained its independence in 1991, Abashidze secured his appointment as Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Ajaria. He was also appointed Deputy Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, a post that he retained in 1990-1992 and 1992-1995. He built an independent power base in Ajaria by steering a course between the Tbilisi government and the opposition. He established his own army as a counterweight to the armed factions that supported and opposed President Zviad Gamsakhurdia. When civil war broke out between pro- and anti-Gamsakhurdia forces in the winter of 1991-92 and again in the autumn of 1993, he kept both sides out of Ajaria, ensuring that the fighting did not spread to the republic. 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Zviad Gamsakhurdia Zviad Konstantines dze Gamsakhurdia (Georgian: ზვიად კონსტანტინეს ძე გამსახურდია) (March 31, 1939 - December 31, 1993) was a dissident, scientist and writer, who... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...

However, unlike the rulers of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, he did not attempt to seek independence for Ajaria and pursued what can best be described as a policy of "armed autonomy" after the fall of Gamsakhurdia. He effectively turned Ajaria into a "free economic zone" with few restrictions on trade (and, reportedly, smuggling) but with the customs duties and revenues going to his government rather than to Tbilisi. His economic policies have been quite successful and have made Ajaria one of the wealthier parts of Georgia. Official languages Abkhaz, Russian Political status De Facto Independent Capital Sukhumi Capitals coordinates 43°01′N 41°02′E President¹ Sergei Bagapsh Prime Minister¹ Alexander Ankvab ¹ De-facto government Chairman of the Supreme Council² Temur Mzhavia Chairman of Cabinet of Ministers² Irakli Alasania ² Pro-Georgian Government in exile Independence... Official language Ossetian Capital Tskhinvali President Eduard Djabeevich Kokoity Prime Minister Igor Viktorovich Sanakoyev Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % water  3,900 km²  n/a Population  â€“ Total  â€“ Density (2004)  70,000 (approx)  18/km² Independence  â€“ Declared  â€“ Recognition From Georgia  â€“ November 28, 1991  â€“ none Currency Russian...

Abashidze attracted some criticism for heavy-handed rule, which was often described as feudal, but he appeared to be genuinely popular among Ajarians. He established his own political party in 1992, known variously as the Union of Democratic Revival or the Union for Georgia's Rebirth. In 1998, he was elected President of Ajaria with 93% of the vote in what Russian observers regarded as a generally free and fair election (although this verdict may have been influenced by Abashidze's consistently pro-Russian policies). 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

He preferred to exercise influence from a distance, rather than attempting to bid for national power, and consistently adopted a policy of backing whoever seemed to offer the best deal for maintaining his rule over Ajaria. He reached an accommodation with President Eduard Shevardnadze, who appeared to have preferred to live with a semi-independent Ajaria rather than risk another civil war. His relations with Shevardnadze grew frosty at the end of the 1990s, as he and the government traded accusations of corruption and treason. Eduard Amvrosiyevich Shevardnadze (Georgian: ედუარდ შევარდნაძე, Russian: Эдуа́рд Амвро́сьевич Шевардна́дзе; pronounced ed-oo-ard am-vro-see-ye-vitch she-va-rd-nad-zuh) (born 25 January 1928) is a Georgian politician. ... The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive. ...

Abashidze and the "Rose Revolution"

The forced resignation of Shevardnadze in November 2003 – widely dubbed the "Rose Revolution" – created a political crisis between Abashidze and the new government in Tbilisi. The Georgian opposition had strongly criticised Shevardnadze for failing to resolve the problem of separatism in the country, including what they saw as the lack of control which Tbilisi had over Ajaria. Not surprisingly, Abashidze saw this as a threat to his position and the continued semi-independence of Ajaria, and denounced the downfall of Shevardnadze as a "coup". He declared a state of emergency in Ajaria and sought Russian support in the event of an open conflict. However, he failed to attract much support from Russia and came under intense pressure from the United States to compromise. On January 25, 2004 Abashidze met the newly-elected President Mikhail Saakashvili in Batumi and declared his intention to work with Saakashvili. Mikhail Saakashvili and his supporters marched on the parliament carrying roses as a symbol of nonviolence Rose Revolution refers to a peaceful 2003 revolution in the country of Georgia that displaced president Eduard Shevardnadze. ... January 25 is the 25th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in... Mikhail Saakashvili briefing the press at UN headquarters Mikhail Saakashvili (Georgian: მიხეილ სააკაშვილი) (born December 21, 1967, in Tbilisi) is a Georgian jurist and politician and the current President of Georgia of Armenian origin. ...

This relationship soon foundered after Saakashvili vowed to restore central authority over Georgia's separatist regions. In mid-March 2004, a motorcade carrying Saakashvili to planned political events in Ajaria ahead of the March 28 Georgian legislative elections, was turned back by Ajarian border guards. Abashidze accused Saakashvili of leading a military convoy into the republic with the aim of overthrowing him, and declared a state of emergency in Ajaria and a mobilization of armed formations. In response, Saakashvili issued a one-day ultimatum to Abashidze to accept central authority and disband the Ajarian paramilitary forces. The government also closed transit routes into and out of Ajaria. March 28 is the 87th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (88th in Leap years). ...

Amid high tension, foreign governments and international organisations appealed to both sides to exercise restraint and resolve their differences peacefully. Abashidze resigned as leader of Ajaria on May 5, 2004. The next day, after being granted assurances that he would not be extradited, Abashidze left for Moscow, without a shot being fired in the region. May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (126th in leap years). ... It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in... Moscow (Russian: Москва́, Moskva, IPA: (help· info)) is the capital of Russia and the countrys principal political, economic, financial, educational and transportation center, located on the river Moskva. ...

Abashidze's property in Georgia, as well as that of his close relatives, was frozen by the Georgian courts and eventually transferred to the state's ownership. [1]

Family

Aslan Abashidze is a widower, having been married to Maguli Gogitidze, a musician, with whom he had two children: a son, George Abashidze, who has served as mayor of Batumi, and a daughter, Diana Abashidze.

References and external links

• "President Aslan Abashidze, visionary leader of Adjara"
• Aslan Abashidze