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- THE WEEK, Page 22WORLDAn Awesome Mandate
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- Shevardnadze wins approval to lead Georgia out of war
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- Georgian leader Eduard Shevardnadze could barely suppress his
- jubilance at what he called the "embarrassing" results in the
- parliamentary elections. In the first balloting held in the
- republic since President Zviad Gamsakhurdia was forcibly
- deposed last January, Georgians by a majority of 95% endorsed
- the former Soviet Foreign Minister's uncontested bid to become
- chairman of a new parliament. Shevardnadze promised his new
- constituents that he would do everything he could "not to leave
- them disappointed."
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- Shevardnadze had staked his reputation on the
- parliamentary elections. The gamble paid off. Georgians turned
- out to vote in such huge numbers -- over 80% cast ballots in
- most regions -- that many had to wait for hours in line. Armed
- with such a mandate, Shevardnadze hopes to revive peace talks
- with Moscow over the Abkhazian crisis, and promptly moved last
- week to set up a new defense council to bring his own military
- forces under control.
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