Georgia and Georgia News

Country Profile
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus Region( region at the border of Europe and Asia situated between the Black Sea and  Caspian Sea )of Eurasia , located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe. 
At the beginning of the 19th century, Georgia was annexed by the Russian Empire.Georgia is divided into 9 regions, 1 city, and 2 autonomous Republics.

Capital                         Tbilisi
Currency                      Lari
Population                   4.7 Million( 2011 Estimate )
Official Language         Georgian



History
After a brief period of independence following the Russian Revolution of 1917, Georgia was occupied bu Soviet Union in 1921 becoming the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic and part of the Soviet Union. 
On April 9, 1991, shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union, Georgia declared independence. 


Government
Georgia is a Democratic Semi-Presidential Republic  with the President  as the Head of State, and Prime Minister as the Head of Government.
Parliament of Georgis is Unicameral having 150 Members, from which 75 members are proportional representatives and 75 are elected through single-member district plurality system, representing their constituencies. Members of parliament are elected for four-year terms

The executive branch of power is made up of the President and the Cabinet of Georgia. The Cabinet is composed of ministers, headed by the PM appointed by the President
Five parties and electoral blocs had representatives elected to the parliament in the 2008 Elections.They are -
United National Movement
The Joint Opposition
Christian Democrats
Labour Party and 
Republican Party 




Post-Independence Events


On May 26, 1991, Zviad Gamsakhurdia was elected as a first President of independent Georgia(in-office from April 14,1991 -Jan 6,1992)
He was soon deposed in a bloody coup d'état, from December 22, 1991 to January 6, 1992. The coup was instigated by part of the National Guards and a paramilitary organization called '' Mkhedrioni ''  or "horsemen". The country became embroiled in a bitter civil war which lasted almost until 1995.

Eduard Shevardnadze returned to Georgia in 1992 and joined the leaders of the coup — Kitovani and Ioseliani — to head a triumvirate called "The State Council".

In 1995, Eduard Shevardnadze was officially elected as president of Georgia and was in office of President from Nov 26,1995 to Nov 23,2003.

In Nov 2003, Eduard Shevardnadze (who won reelection in 2000) was deposed by the '' Rose Revolution '' led by Mikheil Saakashvili,Zurab Zhvania and Nino Burjanadze , former members and leaders of Shevardnadze's ruling party   asserted that the Nov 2,2003 parliamentary elections were marred by fraud.

Nino Burjanadze served as the acting Head of State(President of Georgia) from Nov 23, 2003 to Jan 25, 2004 in the wake of  Eduard Shevardnadze's  resignation during the " Rose Revolution '' 

Mikheil Saakashvili(DOB Dec 21, 1967) is the 3rd and Current President in office from Jan 25,2004.On 4 January 2004 Mikheil Saakashvili won the presidential elections in Georgia with more than 96% of the votes cast, making him the youngest national president in Europe.

The 2008 South Ossetia War or Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict  in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia and separatist Govts. of South Ossetia and Abkhazia  on the other.The result of the conflict was the victory to Russia and separatist Govts. of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and recognition of  South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent Republics.

2008 Georgian Presidential Election

A presidential election was held on Jan 5, 2008 and Mikheil Saakashvili(United National Movement Party) was declared a winner with 53.4% of the votes defeating Levan Gachechiladze(National Council - nine-party opposition coalition)who got 25.69% votes amid the accusation of electoral fraud  by the Georgian opposition.
Mikheil Saakashvili assumed office on Jan 20,2008

2008 Georgian Parliament Election

The Central Election Commission has registered 3,458,020 voters. The election was observed by 14 international and 31 local organizations.Parliamentary elections were held on May 21, 2008.The results are -

United National Movement got       119 seats

The Joint Opposition                       17 seats              

Christian Democrats                        6  seats 

Labour Party and                             6  seats 

Republican Party                             2  seats 

Grigol Mgaloblishvili was approved as the Prime Minister on Nov 1, 2008

On 30 January 2009, during a press conference, Mgaloblishvili announced his resignation citing health problems and saying that he had suggested the President to consider nominating Nika Gilauri , the finance minister and first vice premier, for the PM's position .Nika Gilauri assumed office on Feb 6,2009

2012 Parliamentary Election - Oct 01,2012
A parliamentary election will be held on 1 October 2012 and is the 7th election  to be held since independence from the Soviet Union  in 1991.
Georgia's president Mikheil Saakashvili casts his ballot

Voters in Georgia are choosing a new parliament that will decide the future of President Mikhail Saakashvili's government which has dominated parliament, is up against an opposition coalition led by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire businessman who has posed the most serious challenge to Saakashvili since he came to power almost nine years ago.

For the first time, Saakashvili's ruling United Movement party faces a serious challenge from an opposition coalition headed by the flamboyant Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili.About 1 million of Georgia's 3.6 million eligible voters live in Tbilisi, the capital, where opposition support is strongest.