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TIME - Man of the Year
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1992-08-28
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WORLD, Page 38World NotesGEORGIAHere He Comes Again
Two weeks ago, Georgians had every reason to think that Zviad
Gamsakhurdia wouldn't be on hand to kick them around anymore.
The ousted President, elected with 87% of the vote only seven
months earlier, had seen his popularity collapse amid charges of
repression and high-handedness. Gamsakhurdia had fled the
capital of Tbilisi after the surging opposition successfully
launched a 16-day siege. Last week he reappeared in western
Georgia calling for a massive offensive "to do away with the
junta" that had replaced him.
Neighboring Armenia had granted Gamsakhurdia a safe haven
on condition that he abstain from politics. Ten days later, he
allegedly flew to nearby Chechen-Ingush, a rebellious region in
Russia. From there he made his way to Zugdidi, center of his
traditional power base, where his supporters were gathering.
The ruling Military Council in Tbilisi braced for trouble.
It ordered troops to the western region, accused Armenia of
trying to provoke civil war and charged the ousted President
with abuse of power, embezzlement and inciting ethnic hatreds.
Since Georgia is already facing ethnic conflicts in the
regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Gamsakhurdia's latest
move seemed likely to bring his country to the brink of the
civil war that he has been calling for.