A puzzle for President

Georgia's Land Forces now have a new commander - Koba Lachkepiani. He replaced Zurab Agladze who had been appointed less than a half year before.

It is appropriate to recall that now ex Georgia's Land Forces Commander Zurab Agladze held this post since last August. Following the crash of his adventure Mikheil Saakashvili arranged fundamental shifts in the republic's Defense Ministry. As for Koba Lachkepiani, until now he was the head of Krtsanissky training center of Georgia's Defense Ministry.

"Upon discussion over the armed forces command it was decided to promote certain officers to higher positions or entrust others with different duties", - Georgian president was quoted by Kavkazsky Uzel.

Saakashvili specified that the changes in the Defense Ministry had been done upon analysis of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict last August. It is a secret what exactly he was trying to say. Does it mean that the army was bad at war or otherwise - that some officers were so self-sacrificing in battle that they deserve reward?

Agladze has to resign less than half a year after his appointment. Why? Under his command the army did not take part in any operations. The only efficiency check of the army was the 13-day artillery exercises in Orfolo training area (Georgia) last December. But according to the Chief of Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of Georgia Colonel Vladimir Chachibaia quoted by Rosbalt the exercises were a success: "The exercises contributed to increase in Georgian artillerists' professional level and improvement of interaction".

By the way Georgia spares no effort for its army to conform "to NATO standards". Tbilisi offers itself as an assistant in the antiterrorist operation in Afghanistan, it is preparing to host NATO exercises in May. What is so wrong with Agladze favored by the president last August?

The key to the puzzle is in approaching spring. Nothing to do with the change of season, no. The bright spring sun will bring a new and probably the hardest period of Mikheil Saakashvili's political career. The oppositionists thrilled by the idea of early elections warned the head of the state as early as in December that in mid March at the latest they would come forward with demand for his resignation. Otherwise they threaten to launch large-scale anti-government actions throughout the country.

The opposition is getting more active each day inviting more supporters. Recently Vzglyad newspaper reported that even Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava threatened to run as a candidate in case of early elections.

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