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Georgia's PM Found Dead, Gas Poisoning Suspected
Reuters
February 3, 2005
By Niko Mchedlishvili
TBILISI (Reuters) - Georgia's Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania has died of
apparent gas poisoning, the ex-Soviet state's Interior Minister said.
"Since he did not answer his telephone for a long period his bodyguard
broke through the window ... and found Mr Zhvania's body. We can say
that this is a case of gas poisoning," Interior Minister Vano
Merabishvili said on Georgian television.
Zhvania was found dead at 4:30 a.m. Thursday (8:30 p.m. EST
Wednesday), Merabishvili said, adding foul play was not suspected.
News of Zhvania's death stunned the mountainous Caucasus republic of 5
million, hit by separatist tensions and still recovering from a car
bombing Tuesday which killed three policemen and seriously injured 15.
Russia's Interfax news agency said Zhvania's body was found in the
apartment of a friend, Raul Yusupov, deputy governor of a Georgian
region, who also died.
Zhvania, 41, was appointed prime minister in early 2004 by President
Mikhail Saakashvili, who was swept to power by a wave of protests over
a fraudulent election that forced veteran leader Eduard Shevardnadze
to resign.
Zhvania had for several years been an ally of Shevardnadze but joined
Saakashvili in opposition and was instrumental in bringing about the
so-called "rose revolution" to force out Shevardnadze.
There were reports of friction between Saakashvili and Zhvania, though
neither man aired this in public.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=578&e=6&a mp;u=/nm/20050203/ts_nm/georgia_premier_dc
Reuters
February 3, 2005
By Niko Mchedlishvili
TBILISI (Reuters) - Georgia's Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania has died of
apparent gas poisoning, the ex-Soviet state's Interior Minister said.
"Since he did not answer his telephone for a long period his bodyguard
broke through the window ... and found Mr Zhvania's body. We can say
that this is a case of gas poisoning," Interior Minister Vano
Merabishvili said on Georgian television.
Zhvania was found dead at 4:30 a.m. Thursday (8:30 p.m. EST
Wednesday), Merabishvili said, adding foul play was not suspected.
News of Zhvania's death stunned the mountainous Caucasus republic of 5
million, hit by separatist tensions and still recovering from a car
bombing Tuesday which killed three policemen and seriously injured 15.
Russia's Interfax news agency said Zhvania's body was found in the
apartment of a friend, Raul Yusupov, deputy governor of a Georgian
region, who also died.
Zhvania, 41, was appointed prime minister in early 2004 by President
Mikhail Saakashvili, who was swept to power by a wave of protests over
a fraudulent election that forced veteran leader Eduard Shevardnadze
to resign.
Zhvania had for several years been an ally of Shevardnadze but joined
Saakashvili in opposition and was instrumental in bringing about the
so-called "rose revolution" to force out Shevardnadze.
There were reports of friction between Saakashvili and Zhvania, though
neither man aired this in public.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=578&e=6&a mp;u=/nm/20050203/ts_nm/georgia_premier_dc