BYZANTINE POLITICS THRIVE IN SOVIET GEORGIA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 MOSCOW 10849


DEPT FOR EUR/SOV, C-ZOELLICK

E.O.12356:DECL: OADR
TAGS: PGOV UR PREL SOCI PINS
SUBJECT: BYZANTINE POLITICS THRIVE IN SOVIET GEORGIA

REF: MOSCOW 10336


1. CONFIDENTIAL -- ENTIRE TEXT.

SUMMARY
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2. DURING A MARCH 31 - APRIL 3 TRIP TO TBILISI,
POLOFF MET WITH GEORGIAN SUPREME SOVIET CHAIRMAN
ZVIAD GAMSAKHURDIA (PROTECT),OPPOSITION LEADERS, AND
OTHER REPUBLIC RESIDENTS TO SORT OUT THE BYZANTINE
POLITICS OF GEORGIA WHERE ACCUSATIONS FLY FREELY,
ENEMIES ARE MADE EASILY, AND VIOLENT CONFRONTATION
OCCURS DAILY. DURING THE PAST MONTH GAMSAKHURDIA HAS
MOVED TO CONCENTRATE MOST REPUBLIC POWERS IN HIS
HANDS THROUGH THE CREATION OF A PREFECTURE SYSTEM AND
A REPUBLIC PRESIDENCY. GAMSAKHURDIA INSISTS THAT
SUCH STEPS ARE NECESSARY BECAUSE THE CENTER IS
WORKING WITH HIS ENEMIES -- THE NATIONAL CONGRESS AND
THE SOUTH OSSETIANS -- TO UNDERMINE HIS GOVERNMENT'S
POSITION. OPPOSITION LEADERS FROM THE NATIONAL
CONGRESS ACCUSE GAMSAKHURDIA OF DEPRIVING THEM OF
THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS AND WORKING WITH THE CENTER
AGAINST THE GEORGIAN PEOPLE. VIRTUALLY ALL SIDES
CLAIM THE OTHER SIDES ARE IN CAHOOTS WITH THE KGB.
IN ADDITION, EACH SIDE, INCLUDING GAMSAKHURDIA'S
ROUND TABLE, HAS ITS OWN PARAMILITARY GROUP OR GROUPS
WHICH LAUNCH FREQUENT ATTACKS AGAINST EACH OTHER.
END SUMMARY.


3. THIS IS THE SECOND IN A SERIES OF THREE CABLES ON
POLITICS IN SOVIET GEORGIA. THIS FIRST REPORT (REF)
DEALT WITH GAMSAKHURDIA'S CONFRONTATION WITH THE
CENTER AND THE SOUTH OSSETIANS. THE THIRD WILL COVER
A TRIP POLOFF MADE TO A KGB PRISON AND A CONVERSATION
WITH THE IMPRISONED OSSETIAN LEADER KULUMBEGOV'S
LAWYER.

GEORGIAN POLITICS: ETERNAL PLOTS AND COUNTER-PLOTS
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4. GEORGIAN POLITICS REMAIN TRUE TO THEIR BYZANTINE
HERITAGE AND APPEAR SOMEWHAT BIZARRE TO MOST
OUTSIDERS. MOST OF THE RELATIVELY SMALL REPUBLIC'S
LEADERS HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER SINCE CHILDHOOD AND
HAVE BUILT AN INTRICATE WEB OF FRIENDS AND ENEMIES
THROUGH THE YEARS. GEORGIAN POLITICS ARE HIGHLY
EMOTIONAL AND LOGIC IS OFTEN CAST ASIDE IN FAVOR OF
INFLAMMATORY RHETORIC AND HIGH DRAMA. ACCUSATIONS OF
KGB MEMBERSHIP, BETRAYAL, COLLUSION WITH MOSCOW, AND
CLINICAL INSANITY ARE TRADED WITH EQUAL VENOM FROM
ALL SIDES. THE STORIES BECOME ENHANCED WITH TIME AND
QUICKLY TAKE THEIR PLACES IN THE TWISTED AND
BEWILDERING LORE OF GEORGIAN POLITICAL HISTORY.
POLOFF HAS VISITED THE REPUBLIC FREQUENTLY DURING THE
PAST TWO YEARS AND OCCASIONALLY DURING THE PAST
DECADE AND HAS NEVER FAILED TO BE INTRIGUED BY THE
PECULIAR BRAND OF POLITICS GEORGIANS PRACTICE.


5. VENDETTAS, PARTICULARLY IN RETALIATION FOR PUBLIC
CRITICISM, ARE QUITE COMMON IN GEORGIA. GEORGIANS
ARE QUICK TO TAKE UMBRAGE AND TURN ON ANY CRITICAL
PARTIES. THIS COMBINED WITH THE GEORGIAN FLARE FOR
DRAMA AND HYPERBOLE SOMETIMES LEAD TO RATHER
STARTLING ACCUSATIONS. GEORGIAN POLITICAL LEADERS,
ESPECIALLY GAMSAKHURDIA, HAVE TRIED TO APPLY THESE
TACTICS TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD WITH DISASTROUS PUBLIC
RELATIONS RESULTS. GAMSAKHURDIA, FOR EXAMPLE,
RECENTLY LABELLED RADIO LIBERTY AND THE WALL STREET
JOURNAL "INSTRUMENTS OF THE KREMLIN" BECAUSE THEY
CRITICIZED HIM. WHEN POLOFF POINTED OUT THAT THIS
WAS NOT EVIDENCE OF COLLUSION WITH THE KREMLIN,
GAMSAKHURDIA APPEARED SURPRISED. GAMSAKHURDIA ALSO
HAS MADE MANY OUTRAGEOUS CLAIMS AGAINST HIS MAJOR
OPPOSITION, THE NATIONAL CONGRESS. THESE CLAIMS
INCLUDE BEARING OR FATHERING ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN,
COLLUSION WITH IRAQ IN THE GULF WAR, AND OTHER
APOCRYPHAL ACCUSATIONS.


6. THE OPPOSITION REACTS IN MUCH THE SAME WAY.
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY LEADER GHIA CHANTURIA
(PROTECT) HAD EQUALLY OUTRAGEOUS STORIES ABOUT HOW
GAMSAKHURDIA WAS ACTUALLY COLLUDING WITH THE CENTER,
PARTICULARLY THE KGB, AGAINST THE GEORGIAN PEOPLE.
IN ADDITION, CHANTURIA AND HIS WIFE AMD FELLOW
POLITICAL ACTIVIST, IRINA SARISHVILI (PROTECT),WHO
WERE ONCE FELLOW DISSIDENTS WITH GAMSAKHURDIA, SHOWED
POLOFF ALLEGED OFFICIAL PROOF OF GAMSAKHURDIA'S
INSANITY. THE "PROOF" CONSISTED OF A "SECRET"
CERTIFICATE FROM A PSYCHIATRIC CLINIC WHERE
GAMSAKHURDIA WAS CONFINED WHEN HE WAS A POLITICAL
PRISONER. WHEN POLOFF ASKED WHERE THEY HAD OBTAINED
THESE AND OTHER DOCUMENTS, CHANTURIA REPLIED THAT
FORMER KGB MEMBERS HAD PASSED THE DOCUMENTS TO THEM
IN FRANCE LAST YEAR.


7. LEGITIMATE GRIEVANCES ARE BURIED IN EACH SIDE'S
LITANY OF ACCUSATIONS AND COMPLAINTS. GREAT EFFORT
AND MUCH PATIENCE, HOWEVER, IS REQUIRED TO MINE THESE
NUGGETS OF TRUTH FROM THE TANGLED TERRAIN OF GEORGIAN
POLITICS. CONSISTENCY IS NOT A HIGHLY REGARDED
VIRTUE WHEN IT COMES TO STATISTICS AND AN INTERVIEWER
WILL OFTEN RECEIVE WILDLY FLUCTUATING ESTIMATES FROM
THE SAME PERSON IN THE COURSE OF A SINGLE DAY. FOR
EXAMPLE, GAMSAKHURDIA ESTIMATED THE NUMBER OF
GEORGIAN MVD PERSONNEL AT 10,000 ONE MORNING AND
20,000 LATER THAT DAY. NATIONAL CONGRESS LEADERS
EXHIBITED THE SAME CAVALIER ATTITUDE TOWARD
STATISTICS BY CHANGING THEIR ESTIMATES OF MEMBERSHIP
BY SEVERAL THOUSAND ON EACH OF THE THREE OCCASIONS
POLOFF SPOKE TO THEM DURING THE TRIP.

SPRINGTIME FOR GAMSAKHURDIA
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8. ON APRIL 14, GAMSAKHURDIA HELD AN EMERGENCY
SESSION OF THE GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT, WHICH CREATED A
REPUBLIC PRESIDENCY WITH SWEEPING POWERS AND
UNANIMOUSLY ELECTED GAMSAKHURDIA PRESIDENT UNTIL
REPUBLIC-WIDE ELECTIONS ON MAY 26. DURING A
TELEPHONE CONVERSATION THAT SAME DAY, GAMSAKHURDIA
TOLD POLOFF THAT HE REQUIRED SUCH POWERS TO BRING
ORDER TO THE REPUBLIC AND ROUT THE CENTER'S
ACCOMPLICES. THROUGH THE CREATION OF THE PRESIDENCY,
GAMSAKHURDIA HAS GAINED VIRTUALLY UNRESTRAINED
POWER. ALTHOUGH THE REPUBLIC LAW ON THE PRESIDENCY
STIPULATES THAT THREE-QUARTERS OF THE PARLIAMENT CAN
IMPEACH HIM AT ANY TIME, GAMSAKHURDIA HAS THE PRESENT
GEORGIAN SUPREME SOVIET FIRMLY UNDER HIS CONTROL.


9. GAMSAKHURDIA WILL PROBABLY WIN THE PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTIONS ON MAY 26. HE PROBABLY SET AN EARLY DATE
FOR THE ELECTIONS SO THAT THE FRAGMENTED OPPOSITION
WOULD NOT HAVE TIME TO PREPARE AN ELECTION CAMPAIGN.
WHILE GAMSAKHURDIA CERTAINLY HAS AUTHORITARIAN
TENDENCIES, HE IS ALSO QUITE POPULAR -- AS EVEN HIS
RIVALS WILL ADMIT. HE IS STILL ABLE TO DRAW LARGE
CROWDS AND GEORGIANS, WHO ARE QUITE NATIONALISTIC,
REVERE HIM FOR HIS MANY YEARS AS A POLITICAL
DISSIDENT AND HIS STRONG CHALLENGES TO THE CENTER.
HIS MARCH 31 REFERENDUM ON GEORGIAN INDEPENDENCE WAS
A RESOUNDING SUCCESS AS EVEN THE MEMBERS OF THE
NATIONAL CONGRESS PARTICIPATED AND VOTED IN FAVOR OF
REPUBLIC INDEPENDENCE. ONE OF THE POSTERS URGING
REPUBLIC CITIZENS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE REFERENDUM
BORE A PHOTOGRAPH OF GAMSAKHURDIA EXTENDING HIS ARM
FORWARD IN A CLENCHED FIST AS A SIGN OF DEFIANCE
AGAINST THE CENTER. THE GESTURE BORE A CHILLING
RESEMBLANCE TO THE NAZI SALUTE -- A FACT THAT DID NOT
ESCAPE HIS DETRACTORS BUT EVIDENTLY DID GAMSAKHURDIA
NO HARM.



10. ONE OF GAMSAKHURDIA'S MOST CONTROVERSIAL
POLICIES HAS BEEN THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SYSTEM OF
LOCAL GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES CALLED PREFECTURES.
ACCORDING TO THIS SYSTEM, GAMSAKHURDIA APPOINTS
PREFECTS WHO ADMINISTER THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN PLACE
OF THE SOVIETS OR COUNCILS OF THE FORMER SYSTEM.
GAMSAKHURDIA SAID THAT ALTHOUGH HE APPOINTED THE
FIRST GROUP OF PREFECTS IN JANUARY, HE HOPED THAT BY
NEXT YEAR THEY WOULD BE ELECTED. HE CLAIMED THAT
SOME OF THESE ELECTIONS WERE HELD AT THE SAME TIME AS
THE MARCH 31 GEORGIAN REFERENDUM ON INDEPENDENCE.
ACCORDING TO THE APRIL 14 LAW ON THE PRESIDENCY,
HOWEVER, THE GEORGIAN PRESIDENT WILL HAVE THE POWER
TO APPOINT AND REMOVE PREFECTS. GAMSAKHURDIA SAID HE
WOULD TRY THE SYSTEM FOR SIX MONTHS AND "IF THE
PEOPLE DO NOT LIKE IT, WE WILL GET RID OF IT."
GAMSAKHURDIA COMPARED THIS SYSTEM TO THE FRENCH AND
ITALIAN GOVERNMENT SYSTEMS, WHICH HE SAID HE USED AS
EXAMPLES TO CREATE THE PREFECTURES. CRITICS HAVE
ACCUSED GAMSAKHURDIA OF SETTING UP A NON-DEMOCRATIC
SYSTEM BY APPOINTING PREFECTS TO CIRCUMVENT THE LOCAL
GOVERNMENT ESPECIALLY IN AREAS CONTROLLED BY THE
NATIONAL CONGRESS.


11. GAMSAKHURDIA PLANS TO CONTINUE HIS PUSH FOR "THE
RENEWAL OF GEORGIA'S INDEPENDENCE BASED ON THE 1918
GEORGIAN DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE." HE SAID HE
UNDERSTANDS THAT THIS IS A GRADUAL BUT INEVITABLE
PROCESS. ON APRIL 9, THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE TRAGIC
GEORGIAN DEATHS AT THE HANDS OF SOVIET TROOPS, THE
GEORGIAN SUPREME SOVIET OFFICIALLY DECLARED ITS
INTENTION TO RENEW ITS INDEPENDENCE BASED ON THE 1918
DECLARATION JUST AS GAMSAKHURDIA HAD PLANNED.

DOUBLE-SPEAK ON HUMAN RIGHTS
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12. DURING POLOFF'S VISIT, GAMSAKHURDIA CONTINUED TO
JUSTIFY HIS SUPPRESSION OF HUMAN RIGHTS, SUCH AS
FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY AND SPEECH, AS "NECESSARY
MEASURES" TO FIGHT THE CENTER'S "PROVOCATION." AT
OTHER TIMES, HE GAVE POLOFF OBVIOUSLY TRANSPARENT
EXCUSES. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN POLOFF ASKED WHY HE HAD
CLOSED DOWN "MOLODEZH GRUZII," A NEWSPAPER CRITICAL
OF THE GEORGIAN GOVERNMENT, GAMSAKHURDIA SAID THAT
GEORGIA WAS EXPERIENCING A PAPER SHORTAGE AND
"THEREFORE, UNFORTUNATELY SOME OF THE NEWSPAPERS HAD
TO BE SHUT DOWN."


13. GAMSAKHURDIA INSISTED THAT HE WOULD ALLOW
CRITICISM OF HIMSELF AND HIS GOVERNMENT IN THE PRESS,
"BUT NOT SLANDER." HIS DEFINITION OF "SLANDER"
SEEMED EXCESSIVELY WIDE-RANGING. HE CLAIMED THAT
CHANTURIA HAD WANTED TO PRINT ARTICLES "WITH OBSCENE
WORDS IN THEM AND OF COURSE, WE CANNOT ALLOW SUCH
THINGS." IN REALITY, CHANTURIA HAD TRIED TO PRINT AN
ARTICLE CRITICAL OF GAMSAKHURDIA IN THE REPUBLIC
NEWSPAPER AND THE EDITOR WAS NOT ALLOWED TO PRINT
IT. GAMSAKHURDIA ALSO SAID HE DID NOT BELIEVE THE
POLITICAL GROUPS OF THE NATIONAL CONGRESS SHOULD BE
ALLOWED TO PUBLISH OR SAY WHATEVER THEY WANTED
"BECAUSE THEY WOULD JUST PROVOKE VIOLENCE."


14. DURING THE LAST WEEK IN MARCH, THE GEORGIAN
SUPREME SOVIET PASSED A RESOLUTION BANNING
DEMONSTRATIONS IN FRONT OF THE GEORGIAN SUPREME
SOVIET BUILDING. INTERESTINGLY, THIS IS WHERE
GAMSAKHURDIA HIMSELF HELD MANY LARGE RALLIES LAST
YEAR. CHANTURIA TOLD POLOFF THAT THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY
GAMSAKHURDIA'S PLOY TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF DIRECT
POLITICAL CRITICISM OF GAMSAKHURDIA IN ONE OF THE
MOST POPULAR GATHERING PLACES IN THE CITY.
GAMSAKHURDIA TOLD POLOFF THAT HE HAD DECIDED TO BAN
THE DEMONSTRATIONS ON THE BUILDING'S GROUNDS BECAUSE
THE DEMONSTRATIONS "BLOCKED MY EXIT FROM THE BUILDING
AND I COULD NOT GO HOME BECAUSE I WAS TRAPPED. THEY
ARE FREE TO DEMONSTRATE ANYWHERE ELSE."

THE UNDERDOG OPPOSITION TRIES TO FIGHT BACK
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15. THE MAJOR OPPOSITION, THE NATIONAL CONGRESS,
CONSISTS OF SIX BLOCKS OF ORGANIZATIONS WITH AN
AVERAGE OF TEN PARTIES IN EACH BLOCK. MANY OF THESE
PARTIES HAVE ONLY A COUPLE HUNDRED MEMBERS. THE
LARGEST PARTIES ARE THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY,
WHICH HAS ABOUT 5000 MEMBERS, AND THE NATIONAL
INDEPENDENCE PARTY, WHICH HAS ABOUT 2000 MEMBERS.
THE NATIONAL CONGRESS HAS A MORE RADICAL APPROACH TO
ACHIEVING INDEPENDENCE THAN GAMSAKHURDIA'S ROUND
TABLE. THEY BELIEVE THAT GAMSAKHURDIA SHOULD TAKE AN
EVEN MORE CONFRONTATIONAL APPROACH TO THE CENTER.
FOR EXAMPLE, DAVID ONANASHVILI (PROTECT),NATIONAL
INDEPENDENCE PARTY ACTIVIST, TOLD POLOFF THAT HIS
BLOCK OF PARTIES HAD BEEN HOLDING DEMONSTRATIONS TO
GET THE GEORGIAN SUPREME SOVIET TO BAN THE PRESENCE
OF ALL SOVIET TROOPS IN GEORGIA. WHILE ITS MEMBERS
AGREE ON THE NEED TO ACCELERATE THE INDEPENDENCE
PROCESS, THEY DISAGREE ON WHAT KINDS OF TACTICS TO
USE. NOW THAT THE REPUBLIC IS PREPARING TO HOLD
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS AS EARLY AS MAY 26, IT IS
DOUBTFUL THAT THE OVER 60 PARTIES WILL BE ABLE TO
SETTLE ON A CANDIDATE AND MOUNT AN EFFECTIVE
CAMPAIGN TO CHALLENGE GAMSAKHURDIA'S BID FOR THE
PRESIDENCY.


16. NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY LEADER GHIA CHANTURIA
TOLD POLOFF THAT IT WAS MUCH HARDER FOR THE NATIONAL
CONGRESS TO FIGHT AGAINST THE ROUND TABLE THAN IT WAS
FOR THEM TO STRUGGLE AGAINST THE COMMUNIST PARTY
BECAUSE THE ROUND TABLE IS GEORGIAN. CHANTURIA AND
OTHERS ADMITTED THAT THEIR SUPPORT AND NUMBERS HAD
DWINDLED. INDEED, POLOFF NOTICED THAT THE TWO
DEMONSTRATIONS SHE ATTENDED WERE MUCH SMALLER THAN
PREVIOUS NATIONAL CONGRESS DEMONSTRATIONS LAST YEAR.
EVEN THEN, HOWEVER, NATIONAL CONGRESS GATHERINGS
TENDED TO BE SMALLER THAN ROUND TABLE RALLIES.


17. THE NATIONAL CONGRESS GROUPS FEAR GAMSAKHURDIA
AND HAVE LEGITIMATE GRIEVANCES ABOUT LACK OF ACCESS
TO THE MEDIA AND VIOLATIONS OF THEIR FREEDOM OF
SPEECH. CHANTURIA TOLD POLOFF THAT GAMSAKHURDIA HAD
WARNED IN A PUBLIC SPEECH THAT HE WOULD "PHYSICALLY
DESTROY" THEM. HE ALSO SAID THAT GAMSAKHURDIA HAD
PREVENTED THEM FROM GETTING HARD CURRENCY TO PAY FOR
A TRIP THEY PLANNED TO MAKE TO THE U.S. IRINA
SARISHVILI TOLD POLOFF THAT SHE WAS AFRAID THAT
GAMSAKHURDIA WAS PREPARING TO HAVE HER ARRESTED
BECAUSE SHE WROTE ARTICLES AND MADE SPEECHES CRITICAL
OF HIS GOVERNMENT.


18. SARISHVILI CALLED GAMSAKHURDIA "A CRUEL MAN" AND
TOLD POLOFF THAT GAMSAKHURDIA HAD FABRICATED MANY
ACCUSATIONS AGAINST HER ABOUT COLLABORATING WITH IRAQ
AND HAVING SEVERAL ILLEGITIMATE CHILDREN IN
ORPHANAGES. CHANTURIA SAID THAT WHEN THEY TRIED TO
CHALLENGE GAMSAKHURDIA TO A DEBATE ON TELEVISION,
GAMSAKHURDIA REFUSED AND WOULD NOT ALLOW THEM TO EVEN
PRESENT THEIR VIEWS.


19. INTERESTINGLY, GAMSAKHURDIA AND CHANTURIA HAD
BEEN FELLOW GEORGIAN DISSIDENTS AT ONE TIME AND HAD
WORKED TOGETHER AGAINST THE COMMUNISTS. ALTHOUGH
THEY NOW CLAIM THAT THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN CLOSE,
POLOFF CLEARLY REMEMBERS BOTH MEN SINGING EACH
OTHER'S PRAISES SEVEN YEARS AGO.

PARAMILITARY GROUPS WAGE POLITICAL BATTLES
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20. ACCORDING TO MOST ESTIMATES, ABOUT 25
PARAMILITARY GROUPS FUNCTION IN GEORGIA. ABOUT HALF
OF THESE ALLEGEDLY BELONG TO POLITICAL GROUPS LOYAL
TO GAMSAKHURDIA'S ROUND TABLE AND THE OTHER HALF
BELONG TO POLITICAL GROUPS LOYAL TO THE NATIONAL
CONGRESS. DURING THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS,
GAMSAKHURDIA HAS ATTEMPTED TO DISARM THE NATIONAL
CONGRESS' PARAMILITARY GROUPS AND TRIED TO SLOWLY
INCORPORATE HIS GROUPS INTO THE GEORGIAN NATIONAL
GUARD. THESE TROOPS IN GREEN FATIGUES AND BURGUNDY
BERETS ARE MOST VISIBLE AROUND THE GEORGIAN SUPREME
SOVIET BUILDING AND AT THE AIRPORT. A WESTERN
JOURNALIST TOLD POLOFF THREE MONTHS AGO THAT
ACCORDING TO A SOVIET MILITARY GENERAL IN GEORGIA,
GAMSAKHURDIA HAD TRIED TO MAKE A DEAL WITH THE SOVIET
ARMY TO DISARM THE NATIONAL CONGRESS' GROUP IN
EXCHANGE FOR SOME COOPERATION ON DRAFTING YOUNG
GEORGIANS INTO THE ARMY.


21. GAMSAKHURDIA HAS FOCUSSED PARTICULARLY ON
DISBANDING THE MKHEDRIONI GROUP SOMETIMES KNOWN AS
"THE HORSEMEN" OR THE "KNIGHTS OF MKHEDRIONI."
INTERESTINGLY, THE MKHEDRIONI WAS FORMED BY BOTH
GAMSAKHURDIA'S ROUND TABLE AND GROUPS PRESENTLY
BELONGING TO THE NATIONAL CONGRESS DURING THE SUMMER
OF 1989 TO PROTECT GEORGIANS DURING CONFLICTS WITH
THE ABKHAZIANS AND THE AZERBAYDZHANIS. AFTER THE
ROUND TABLE AND THE NATIONAL CONGRESS GROUPS SPLIT,
THE MKHEDRIONI THREW THEIR SUPPORT TO THE NATIONAL
CONGRESS.


22. THE MKHEDRIONI LEADER, JOSELIANI, WAS RECENTLY
ARRESTED WITH ABOUT 70 OTHER MKHEDRIONI MEMBERS AND
HAS BEEN AWAITING TRIAL ON CHARGES OF ILLEGAL
POSSESSION OF WEAPONS. JOSELIANI'S SUPPORTERS ADMIT
THAT HE HAS SERVED FOUR PRISON SENTENCES FOR ARMED
ROBBERY AND THAT PRIOR TO HIS MOST RECENT ARREST, HE
HAD NOT BEEN A POLITICAL PRISONER. NATIONAL CONGRESS
MEMBER IRINA SARIASHVILI TOLD POLOFF, "WE ACKNOWLEDGE
THAT HE HAS BEEN A CRIMINAL SO IT IS NOT A PROBLEM.
HE DOES NOT HIDE IT. GAMSAKHURDIA UNJUSTLY ARRESTED
HIM ON CHARGES OF ILLEGALLY POSSESSING WEAPONS. OF
COURSE, HE HAD THOSE WEAPONS, BUT IF YOU USE THAT
CRITERIA YOU COULD IMPRISON EVERYONE WHO LIVES IN
GEORGIA." INTERESTINGLY, GEORGIAN MINISTRY OF
FOREIGN AFFAIRS OFFICIAL LEVON GOGOBERIDZE (PROTECT)
DEFENDED JOSELIANI'S CHARACTER BY POINTING OUT THAT
HE WAS CLEVER ENOUGH TO GET INTO MOSCOW STATE
UNIVERSITY AFTER OBTAINING ONLY A SEVENTH GRADE
EDUCATION. HE ALSO TOLD POLOFF THAT MANY GEORGIANS
THOUGHT OF JOSELIANI AS AN INTELLECTUAL.


23. ALTHOUGH GAMSAKHURDIA MAINTAINS THAT ALL THE
PARAMILITARY GROUPS LOYAL TO THE ROUND TABLE HAVE
BEEN DISBANDED, POLOFF SAW AND HEARD ENOUGH EVIDENCE
TO INDICATE THAT AT LEAST SOME OF THESE GROUPS WERE
STILL ACTIVE. IN AREAS OUTSIDE TBILISI, ARMED GROUPS
FROM THE MERAB KOSTAVA SOCIETY, THE LEAGUE OF
GEORGIAN EAGLES, THE WHITE KNIGHTS OF GEORGIA
(ROUNDTABLE SPINOFF FROM THE MKHEDRIONI),AND THE
ILYA THE RIGHTEOUS SOCIETY HAVE BATTLED THE NUMEROUS
PARAMILITARY GROUPS OF THE NATIONAL CONGRESS.
ACCORDING TO DAVID ONANASHVILI (PROTECT),A NATIONAL
CONGRESS ACTIVIST, MOST OF THE MORE THAN 20 GROUPS IN
THE NATIONAL CONGRESS HAVE THEIR OWN PARAMILITARY
GROUPS.


24. LENINGRAD MINIMIZE CONSIDERED.


COLLINS