Military Council (Georgia)

The Military Council of Georgia (Georgian: საქართველოს რესპუბლიკის სამხედრო საბჭო, romanized: sakartvelos resp'ublik'is samkhedro sabch'o) was the ruling military junta of the Government of Georgia which was established on January 2, 1992, during the coup d'état in Republic of Georgia. It was an unconstitutional body that served as the leadership of the country to just over 2 months. The council announced the overthrow of President Zviad Gamsakhurdia and served as the collective head of state from January 6, 1992, until March 10 of that year, when the military council was replaced by the State Council led by Eduard Shevardnadze. The full composition of the Military Council was never published, with all orders and resolutions being signed by Tengiz Kitovani and Jaba Ioseliani on behalf of the council.^[1][2]

Republic of Georgia საქართველოს რესპუბლიკა (Georgian)
1991–1992
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: ძალა ერთობაშია Dzala ertobashia "Strength is in Unity"
Anthem: დიდება Dideba "Glory"
Capital	Tbilisi
Official languages	Georgian
Recognised regional languages	Abkhaz (in the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia)
Demonym(s)	Georgian
Government	Provisional military junta
• Chairmen	Jaba Ioseliani and Tengiz Kitovani
• Prime Minister	Tengiz Sigua
Legislature	Military Council
Historical era	Post-Soviet era
• Formation	December 1991
• Declared	January 2 1991
• Control over Georgia attained	January 6 1991
• Disestablished	March 10 1992
Area
• Total	69,700 km2 (26,900 sq mi)
Currency	Russian ruble (RUB)
Time zone	GET
Calling code	+995
ISO 3166 code	GE
Preceded by Succeeded by Republic of Georgia Republic of Georgia
Today part of	Georgia Abkhazia South Ossetia

Jaba Ioseliani

Tengiz Kitovani

Background

After nearly seven decades of Soviet domination and intense anti-nationalist persecution following the 1921 invasion of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, Georgia became the first Soviet-bloc country to hold democratic, multi-party elections in October 1990. These elections, held during troubled times for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, resulted in a victory for former dissident Zviad Gamsakhurdia and his party, Round Table—Free Georgia, bringing an end to communist rule in Tbilisi. The new government soon broke away completely from Moscow's domination, eventually declaring the Republic of Georgia independent on April 9, 1991, after a referendum showing widespread popular support for total separation from the Kremlin. however shortly after, he lost popular popularity and support of the Georgian elites over the next fifteen months, and by the end of 1991 was effectively isolated.

Among the factors contributing to the decline in its popularity is the severe economic crisis that hit Georgia after the collapse of the economic chains of the Soviet economy [ru]. The ultranationalist statements of Gamsakhurdia brought him into conflict with employees of state bodies and law enforcement agencies and with large ethnic groups of Georgian citizens who were concerned about his ultra-nationalist rhetoric.^[3][4]

On 18 August 1991, during the coup in Moscow, President Gamsakhurdia collaborated with the putschists, in particular, implemented the decision of the State Committee on the State of Emergency to disband the National Guard of Georgia. The cooperation with the SCSE, and the attempt to disband the National Guard were horribly perceived in Georgia, which led to the mutiny among the National Guard. The rebellious part of the National Guard was commanded by Tengiz Kitovani.^[5] Georgian politicians openly spoke about Gamsakhurdia's cowardice.^[6]

From September–November 1991, Tbilisi was a physically divided city. The opposition was in the Philharmonia Hall, Tbilisi State University, the Marx–Engels–Lenin Institute, and the TV studios of the city, and on September 25, Gamsakhurdia declared a State of Emergency in the city.^[7]

Coup d'état

Opposition protests soon turned into bloody fighting between government forces and anti-Gamsakhurdia troops, and on December 21, 1991, a coup d'état had started against Gamsakhurdia. As the months went by, due to the war against the coup, the city of Tbilisi was transformed into a battlefield, instead of just being divided. The coup was led by two generals: former National Guard commander Tengiz Kitovani and former prison criminal Jaba Iosseliani.^[8]

By a declaration of January 2, 1992, the Military Council declared its existence and the deposition of the President of Georgia at the time, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, the dissolution of the Supreme Council, and the removal of the Prime Minister of Georgia, Besariona Gugushvili, from office after Gamsakhurdia's escape from Tbilisi.^[9]

By January 6, 1992, the capital of Tbilisi had been sieged for 2 weeks straight.^[10] On that day, at around 05:00,^[11] President Gamsakhurdia, along with his family and his 100 bodyguards, who had taken refuge in a reinforced shelter up to then, fled to Azerbaijan’s Qazax district, but was denied anything but safe transit. He left the rest of his 100 bodyguards behind there; but was also told by Armenia that they would only allow temporary asylum in the city of Ijevan, however, soon afterwards, the President of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, Dzhokhar Dudayev, offered asylum to Gamsakhurdia, and Armenia allowed him to move to Chechnya for the aforementioned asylum.^[12]

The Military Council, however, said they wanted Gamsakhurdia back.^[13] It played the role of the collective head of State with the fleeing of Gamsakhurdia, with the duties of the Prime Minister being assigned to Tengiz Sigua.^[14] The Military Council's self-proclaimed goal was to preserve democracy, stabilise society before new elections and economic reforms.^[9]

Formation

The Military Council was established at the end of December 1991,^[when?] but the full composition of the council was not published or recorded on paper. All orders, orders and resolutions issued on behalf of the Military Council were signed by Tengiz Kitovani and Jaba Ioseliani as members of the council. There is evidence that the third member of the council was Acting Prime Minister of Georgia Tengiz Sigua, but he never signed any documents on behalf of the council.^[15][16]

Tengiz Sigua formed a new provisional government, and the ministers were appointed without extensive discussion, taking into account their reputation and personal recommendations. There were quite a few representatives of the new government, from Soviet origins, with experience in economic and public administration.^[14] As a matter of priority, the government raised civil servants' salaries and pensions, abolished state duties for the privatization of apartments, and also canceled the nationalization of enterprises under Gamsakhurdia. Levan Sharashenidze, a professional military officer, was appointed as the Lieutenant General of the Minister of Defense of Georgia.^[17]

The advisory political body of the Military Council was the Political Advisory Committee, to which all political forces were invited according to the formula "all minus one" (meaning the exclusion of Zviad Gamsakhurdia personally). To demonstrate readiness for national reconciliation, the following persons were invited to join the committee: Zviadists, as well as representatives of non-Georgian ethnic minorities.^[14] The Military Council made several important political gestures: it declared the press and media free and independent of the state, released the Ossetian leader Torez Kulumbegov from custody, restored university autonomy,^[16] and participated in meetings of CIS heads of states.

Council activities

On January 3, the Military Council in Tbilisi declared a state of emergency, and prohibited all rallies and demonstrations. On January 6, the Military Council issued a declaration in regard to the Supreme Soviet, and the President of Georgia announced that the country was the legal successor to the Georgian SSR, restored the 1921 Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, and declared the government of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic illegal, saying "It is unacceptable to replace one illegal government with another equally illegal one", and emphasised "the need to restore legitimate constitutional authority in Georgia".^[18] And it also accused Gamsakhurdia of authoritarianism and government usurpation.

On January 10, Acting Prime Minister Tengiz Sigua decreed to establish the following:

• The activities of the Sakrebulebi should be restored throughout the territory of Georgia
• The Sakrebuloebi have 10 days time to hold administrative elections with secret ballots
• The composition of the new administration has to be sent in for approval to the government, temporarily
• The Acting Prime Minister is given the right to elect the Mayor of Tbilisi and others.^[19]

On January 21 at night, Jaba Ioseliani and Military Commissioner of Zugdidi, Giorgi Karkarashvili, met with Deputy of the Supreme Council of Georgia Walter Shurgaya and former Prefect of Zugdidi A. Kobalia. During the conversation, Jaba Ioseliani issued an ultimatum to the parties that the armed forces stationed in Zugdidi should lay down their weapons and ensure the liberation of Zugdidi without losses.^[20]

The seizure of power by the Military Council was perceived neutrally and positively among the CIS heads of state.^[21] However, in just over two months of activity, the Military Council had failed to make significant progress in stabilizing the situation in Georgia and achieving international legitimacy. This was hampered by inter-ethnic conflicts, political strife, the economic crisis and anarchy in Western Georgia, which gradually turned into a civil war. International contacts were hindered by Ioseliani's well-known status as a crowned king the kingpin and Kitovani's criminal past.^[22]

In early March, a delegation of the Military Council went to Moscow to ask Eduard Shevardnadze to lead Georgia. Within a few days of his consent and return to Georgia, on March 10, 1992, the Military Council decided to dissolve itself and transfer power to the newly formed State Council of Georgia, led by By Eduard Shevardnadze.^[23][24]

Aftermath

The transfer of power to the Military Council to some extent smoothed out the conflicts exacerbated by the previous administration. However, the forceful removal of President Gamsakhurdia has increased the chaos in the country and led to a deep split in society, which soon switched to civil war.^[25] The leaders of the Military Council could not convincingly legitimise their power either at home or in the international arena,^[26] and after a relatively short period of time they were forced to turn to Eduard Shevardnadze with a request to head the provisional government in Georgia. Shevardnadze's arrival and creation State Council and the simultaneous dissolution of the Military Council marked the beginning of the re-establishment of legitimate state power in Georgia.^[27]