Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia
The Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia (Georgian: საქართველოს რესპუბლიკის უზენაესი საბჭო, sakartvelos respublikis uzenaesi sabcho) was the highest unicameral legislative body in Georgia elected in the first democratic, multiparty elections in the Caucasus on October 28, 1990 while the country was still part of the Soviet Union. The Council presided over the declaration of Georgia’s independence from the Soviet Union in April 1991. The legislature split into rivaling factions and became defunct after a violent coup d’etat ousted President Zviad Gamsakhurdia in January 1992. A pro-Gamsakhurdia faction managed to convene for a few times in exile and again in Georgia during Gamsakhurdia’s failed attempt to regain power later in 1993. The Supreme Council was succeeded – after a brief parliamentary vacuum filled by the rule of the post-coup Military Council and then the State Council – by the Parliament of Georgia elected in October 1992.
The Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia was preceded by the Supreme Soviet of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (July 1938–November 1990), which in its turn was a successor of the Central Executive Committee of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (February 1922–July 1938).
The Chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet were nominal heads of the republic and the Chairmen of the Supreme Soviet were the presiding officers of the legislature. Zviad Gamsakhurdia was both acting head of the republic and presiding officer of the legislature as the Chairman of the Supreme Council.
Chairmen of Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
| Name | Period |
|---|---|
| Filipp Makharadze | July 10, 1938–December 10, 1941 |
| Giorgi Sturua | January 1, 1942–March 26, 1948 |
| Vasil Gogua | March 26, 1948–April 6, 1952 |
| Zakaria Chkhubiashvili | April 6, 1952–April 15, 1953 |
| Vladimer Tskhovrebashvili | April 15, 1953–October 29, 1953 |
| Miron Chubinidze | October 29, 1953–April 17, 1959 |
| Giorgi Dzotsenidze | April 18, 1959–January 26, 1976 |
| Pavle Gilashvili | January 26, 1976–March 29, 1989 |
| Otar Cherkezia | March 29, 1989–November 17, 1989 |
| Givi Gumbaridze | November 17, 1989–November 14, 1990 |
Chairmen of the Supreme Soviet of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic
| Name | Period |
|---|---|
| Iosif Kochlamazashvili | July 7, 1938–March 24, 1947 |
| Vasil Gogua | March 26, 1947–March 26, 1948 |
| Archil Gigoshvili | March 26, 1948–April 18, 1951 |
| Mikhail Lelashvili | April 18, 1951–April 6, 1952 |
| Givi Javakhishvili | April 6, 1952–April 15, 1953 |
| Archil Georgadze | April 15, 1953–1954 |
| Viktor Kupradze | 1954–April 26, 1963 |
| Rapiel Dvali | April 26, 1963–July 12, 1971 |
| Irakli Abashidze | July 12, 1971–November 14, 1990 |
Chairmen of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia
| Name | Period |
|---|---|
| Zviad Gamsakhurdia | November 14, 1990–April 14, 1991 |
| Akaki Asatiani | April 14, 1991–January 2, 1992 |