Mikhail Saakashvili

Mikhail Saakashvili (Georgian: მიხეილ სააკაშვილი) (born December 21, 1967) is a Georgian jurist and politician and the current President of Georgia.

Opposition

Having resigned from the government and quit the Shevardnadze-run Union of Citizens of Georgia party, Saakashvili founded the United National Movement (UNM) in October, 2001, a left-of-center political party akin to the Social Democrats in Europe with a touch of nationalism, to provide a focus for part of the Georgian reformists leaders. In June 2002, he was elected as the Chairman of the Tbilisi Assembly ("Sakrebulo") following an agreement between the United National Movement and the Georgian Labour Party. This gave him a powerful new platform from which to criticize the government.

Related Topics:
October - 2001 - Tbilisi

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Georgia held parliamentary elections on November 2, 2003 which were denounced by local and international observers as being grossly rigged. Saakashvilli claimed that he had won the elections (a claim supported by independent exit polls), and urged Georgians to demonstrate against Shevardnadze's government and engage in nonviolent civil disobedience against the authorities. Saakashvili's UNM and Burdjanadze-Democrats united to demand the ouster of Shevardnadze and the rerun of the elections.

Related Topics:
Parliamentary elections - November 2 - 2003 - Civil disobedience

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Massive political demonstrations (the so-called "Rose Revolution") were held in Tbilisi between November 20 and November 23, with over 100,000 people participating and listening to speeches by Saakashvili and other opposition figures. After an increasingly tense two weeks of demonstrations, Shevardnadze bowed to the inevitable and resigned as President on November 23, to be replaced on an interim basis by parliamentary speaker Nino Burjanadze. While the revolutionary leaders did their best to stay within the Constitutional norms, many called the change of government a popular coup.

Related Topics:
Rose Revolution - November 20 - November 23 - Resigned as President - Nino Burjanadze

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On February 24, 2004 the United National Movement and the United Democrats had amalgamated. New political movement was named the National Movement - Democrats (NMD). The movement's main political priorities include raising pensions and providing social services to the poor, its main base of support; fighting corruption; and increasing state revenue.

Related Topics:
February 24 - 2004 - National Movement - Democrats

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