Prime Minister Zhvania Dies
Civil Georgia (Civil.Ge)
2005-02-03
Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania was found dead, apparently by
gas poisoning, in his friend’s apartment in Tbilisi on early hours of
February 3. Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili said Zhvania
was, apparently, poisoned by gas.
`We know that Zurab Zhvania came to his friend’s apartment
approximately at midnight on February 2. As Zurab Zhvania was not
responding to his mobile phone and no one was opening the door for a
long period, his bodyguard broke through the window at approximately
4:30 am [local time]. He [the bodyguard] found the dead bodies of
Zurab Zhvania and his friend in the apartment. It was a
misfortune. We can say that it was gas poisoning. An Iranian-made
gas-powered heating device was installed in the apartment,’ Vano
Merabishvili said.
He said that Zhvania’s friend, whom the Prime Minister was visiting,
was Deputy Governor of Kvemo Kartli Region Raul Usupov.
The bodies of both Zurab Zhvania and Raul Usupov had been taken to the
coroner’s office for examination. However, the results of this
examination is not known yet.
Merabishvili also said that Zurab Zhvania was found dead sitting on
the armchair, while his friend died in the kitchen.
President Saakashvili presented condolences regarding the death of
Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania.
`It is very hard for me to speak today. This is a blow for our country
and personally for me, as for the President and a person. Georgia lost
a great patriot, who devoted his whole life to serving our country,’
Saakashvili said at a special government’s session on February 3.
`I lost my closest friend I had, the most reliable adviser and the
greatest ally. Now, all my thoughts are with Zurab’s wife, his mother
and his children. In these hard times for the country and for us, I
call on everybody to be strong, to stand together and continue to
serve our country, despite any troubles and problems we face,’ the
President added.
Russian news agencies reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin
sent a letter of condolences to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili
regarding the death of Zurab Zhvania.
Zhvania, who turned 41 last December, was the Prime Minister of
Georgia since February 2004. He entered the Georgian politics in late
80s when he chaired the Green Party. When Eduard Shevardnadze took
over the power in Georgia in 1992, Zurab Zhvania became his one of the
closest allies and a leading figure in by-then ruling party the
Citizens Union of Georgia and eventually took over the Parliamentary
Chairmanship in 1995.
In late 90s it became apparent that Zhvania started to distance
himself from Shevardnadze that eventually resulted in his resignation
from the Parliamentary Chairman’s position in November, 2001. Shortly
after resignation he established new political party the United
Democrats. Nino Burjanadze, who was elected as Parliamentary
Chairperson after Zhvania’s resignation, has latter jointed the
Zhvania’s party.
Zurab Zhvania and Mikheil Saakashvili became close political allies
after fraudulent November 2, 2003 parliamentary elections. After the
Rose Revolution Zurab Zhvania became the State Minister and after the
February, 2004 constitutional amendments Zhvania was appointed by
Saakashvili as the Prime Minister.