Zurab Zhvania

Zurab Zhvania

Early career

Zhvania was born in Tbilisi. In 1985 he graduated from the Faculty of Biology of the Tbilisi Ivane Javakhishvili State University. He worked at the university through 1992.

Related Topics:
Tbilisi - 1985 - Biology - Tbilisi Ivane Javakhishvili State University - 1992

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Zhvania entered national politics in 1988. Between 1988 and 1990, Georgia's Green Party, which Zhvania co-chaired, was one of a number of opposition groups that took part in the country's drive to regain its independence. In September 1991 his party joined the opposition to the government of the first post-Soviet President of Georgia, Zviad Gamsakhurdia. Gamsakhurdia's violent overthrow in January 1992 resulted in Eduard Shevardnadze, the former Soviet foreign minister, coming to power a few months later.

Related Topics:
Zviad Gamsakhurdia - Eduard Shevardnadze

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Shevardnadze established the Union of Citizens of Georgia to provide a moderate centre-right grouping for reformist democrats. Zhvania joined the UGC in 1992, entering the Georgian parliament in the same year, and recruited other reformists to the party, notably Mikhail Saakashvili. In 1993, Zhvania became general secretary of Shevardnadze's party. On November 25, 1995, after the party’s victory at the election, he was elected as chairman of the Georgian parliament.

Related Topics:
Union of Citizens of Georgia - Mikhail Saakashvili - 1993 - November 25 - 1995

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However, Zhvania fell out with Shevardnadze over a corruption scandal and resigned as speaker on November 1, 2001. He and Saakashvili also left Shevardnadze's party. In 2002, he established and chaired a new party, called the United Democrats.

Related Topics:
November 1 - 2001 - 2002

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