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ECA ALUMNUS BECOMES NEW PRESIDENT OF GEORGIA
January 4, 2004

ECA program alumnus Mikheil Saakashvili became the second president of the Republic of Georgia on January 4, 2004, in a landslide election. A Muskie fellow who received a Master's of Law degree from Columbia University in 1994 and a participant in the 1999 SCP Judicial Reform International Visitor Program, Saakashvili lead his country in the nonviolent "rose revolution," pushing former President Eduard Shevardnadze out of power six weeks ago. At age 36, Saakashvili has already spearheaded legal reform as his country's former Minster of Justice in 2000. He then went on to found his own opposition party, the New National Movement, in 2002. ECA honored Saakashvili with the Muskie Alumni Leadership Award in 2002 as part of the ten year anniversary of the program.

After Shevardnadze stepped down in November, Muskie alumna Tamar Beruchashvili was promoted to the number two slot of Deputy State Minister by Zurab Zhvania, then State Minister who headed the provisional government. Also a winner of the Muskie Alumni Leadership Award in 2002, Ms. Beruchashvili was appointed Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia in 2000. During her Muskie fellowship, Ms. Beruchashvili studied public administration at Indiana University from 1996-1998.

Other Georgian ECA Alumni of Note

Mr. Irakli Rekhviashvili is the new Minister of Economy for Georgia. He was an ECA undergraduate student at Hunter College and graduated in 1994.

Mr. George Papuashvili is the new Minister of Justice of Georgia. As a Muskie fellow he studied at American University, Washington College of Law, Washington, D.C. in 2000.

Mr. Giorgi Tabuashvili, Deputy Minister of Finance in Georgia, was a Muskie fellow at the University of Illinois, Urbana/Champaigne and received a Masters of Economics in 2002.

Mr. Zurab Zhvania, leader of the opposition, and former Spokesmen of the Parliament of Georgia, participated in FY 1993 MRP Grassroots Democracy.

Ms. Vasil Maglaperidze, representative of the opposition running for the parliamentary elections, and former Member of Parliament, participated in FY 2002 Voluntary Visitor IVP Higher Education in the U.S.

Mr. Roman Gotsiridze, representative of the opposition party and Head of the Budgetary Office of the Parliament of Georgia, participated in FY 98 SCP Government Fiscal Management.

Mr. Kote Kemularia, representative of the opposition running for the parliamentary elections, and former Member of Parliament and leader of the National Movement of Georgia, participated in FY 2002 Voluntary Visitor IVP Higher Education in the U.S.

Mr. Givi Targamadze, representative of the opposition running for the parliamentary elections, and member of the Liberty Institute and the Anti-Corruption Council, participated in FY 99 SCP Judicial Reform.

Ms. Maia Nadiradze, representative of the opposition running for the parliamentary elections, and former Member of Parliament, participated in FY 2002 Voluntary Visitor IVP Higher Education in the U.S.

Ms. Tinatin Khidasheli, Chairman of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association who played an important role in observing last parliamentary elections and discovering frauds, participated in FY 98 SCP Human Rights Protection.

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