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| Caucasus | |
| Georgia Leader Starts Inauguration Weekend | |
| 2004-01-25 | |
| EFL to just the new stuff President-elect Mikhail Saakashvili made an emotional plea for unity in his fractured nation Saturday on the eve of his inauguration, kneeling at the tomb of the 12th-century ruler who brought Georgia together. Wrapping his mission as Georgia’s new leader in spiritual and historical symbolism, Saakashvili visited a monastery founded 900 years ago by David the Builder, a king who increased Georgia’s wealth and prestige after, at age 16, taking the reins of a country beset by attackers. Touching the scarred stone surface of the grave with his hand, Saakashvili swore to do his utmost to unite Georgia, which was torn apart by separatist wars following the 1991 Soviet collapse. Did he pull the sword out of the stone? The crowd cheered as Saakashvili passed by, reflecting the high expectations in the fiery 36-year-old who led street protests that brought down former President Eduard Shevardnadze in November. Unifying the country may be Saakashvili’s most daunting challenge: the provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia are virtually independent and the autonomous Adzharia region is led by a fierce opponent. Notice no march by Georgian soldiers to Adzharia as recently predicted.
Cheap at twice the price if he does some good. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |