10.05.2004 - Source: Civil Georgia

Adzharia: Democratic Revival Union party led by ex-Adzharian leader Aslan Abashidze disbanded ("Abashidze’s Party Disbanded") [#22123],  [ID 4712]

"Democratic Revival Union party led by ex-Adjarian leader Aslan Abashidze, ceased activity in the wake of Abashidze’s departure to Moscow on May 6.

The Revival Union was set up by Aslan Abashidze in 1995. The party was participating in all parliamentary and self-governance elections in Georgia.

In March 28, 2004 parliamentary elections the Revival Union received 3,89% support, hence failed to secure seats in the Georgia’s new Parliament."

Document(s): Open document

21.01.2003 - Source: EurasiaNet

Eurasianet: 'Revival' regularly wins from 90 to 97 percent of the vote in Adjaria’s highly suspect elections ("Georgia`s mounting opposition") [#10573],  [ID 4713]

"Revival is the only Georgian opposition party with an almost-guaranteed presence in parliament, as it regularly wins from 90 to 97 percent of the vote in Adjaria’s highly suspect elections. However, much of the rest of the Georgia population considers Abashidze to be pro-Russian and dictatorial, and his popularity outside his province is extremely low. Knowing this to be the case, Abashidze does not harbor national ambitions, and instead has sought to maintain absolute control of his southern province. Revival rarely stakes out a concrete policy position, and has often used its spoiler role in parliament to its advantage. After the split between Zhvania and Shevardnadze, Revival began taking its cues from the latter, partially because of the longstanding personal enmity between Abashidze and Zhvania. Shevardnadze and Revival strengthened their alliance when the president appointed Abashidze as his special representative to regulate the conflict in Abkhazia. This is widely considered a tradeoff through which Revival’s parliamentary votes were pledged to the government in exchange for a lucrative and prominent post for the party’s leader."

Document(s): Open document

12.06.2002 - Source:

Institute for the Study of Conflict, Ideology, and Policy: Revival Party ("12.06.2002 - Institute for the Study of Conflict, Ideology, and Policy: Revival Party") [ID 4714]

"This primarily regional party is led by Ajaria's President Aslan Abashidze, who has relied on the Russian military presence in his republic to assert himself against Shevardnadze. Abashidze was the main contender against Shevardnadze in the last presidential elections. The poor showing dampens Abashidze's presidential ambitions. Local elections will be held in Ajaria on 16 June, hence the party's performance in its stronghold cannot be determined at present."

Document(s): 12.06.2002 - Institute for the Study of Conflict, Ideology, and Policy: Revival Party

06.2002 - Source:

BHHRG: "Pro-Russian" opposition party [ID 4715]

"In the 1999 parliamentary elections, the Revival Democratic Union Bloc took second place under conditions of widespread violence committed against it by the Citizens’ Union. The Revival bloc was made up of four parties: the Revival Party of Aslan Abashidze, President of the Autonomous Republic of Ajaria; Vakhtang Rcheulishvili’s Socialist Party; Akaki Asatiani’s Union of Traditionalists; and the Konstantin Gamsakhurdia Society led by Vakhtang Bochorishvili. Also in the alliance was former Georgian SSR First Secretary, Jumber Patiashvili.

Of these, only Mr. Bochorishvili of the Konstantin Gamsakhurdia Society ran within the Revival party for the June 2nd election. Akaki Asatiani had already broken away from the Revival faction in parliament before the election, but the Socialist Party and Jumber Patiashvili – while remaining in Revival in the national parliament – decided to run separately in the local elections in a scenario they explained as “tactics.” Neither Rcheulishvili nor Patiashvili had distanced himself from Mr. Abashidze in any way other than to run in their own parties for the local election. This mirrored the tendency of pro-Western opposition parties such as Saakashvili’s National Movement and “Zhvania’s Team” to run in separate parties even though they had exactly the same policy objectives and ideology, and always portrayed themselves as allies.

Abashidze, Rcheulishvili and Patiashvili all represent what can tentatively be described as a “pro-Russian” opposition, since all favour improved relations between Tbilisi and Moscow, and all have expressed opposition to the Georgian government policy of permitting an increased US military presence in the republic. In November of last year, Mr. Abashidze went so far as to say that “only the unity with Russia will save us, help us to preserve what we have, and advance,” and he warned of a potentially “revolutionary” situation in Georgia if the current economic and social crisis continued. Mr. Patiashvili formed a party called the “Unity” Bloc and, together with Mr. Rcheulishvili and Mr. Abashidze, campaigned in opposition to Georgia’s unconditionally pro-Western orientation."

Document(s): Open document