Ivane "Vano" Zodelava ( ka, ივანე ��ანოზოდელავა; 2 May 1957 – 5 February 2019) was a Georgian politician who served as

Mayor of Tbilisi The Mayor of Tbilisi is an elected politician in Tbilisi. Before 2005 the mayors used to be appointed by the central government. In 2006 first mayoral elections were held in the history of the Republic of Georgia. The first elected mayor of Tbilis ...

from 10 August 1998 to 19 April 2004.

Early career

Born in

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...

, the capital of then-

Soviet Georgia The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, also known as Soviet Georgia, the Georgian SSR, or simply Georgia, was one of the republics of the Soviet Union from its second occupation (by the Red Army) in 1921 to its independence in 1991. Cotermin ...

, Zodelava graduated from the

Tbilisi State University Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University ( ka, ივანე ჯავახიშვილის სახელობის თბილისის სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი, tr; often shorten ...

(TSU) with a degree in engineering in 1978. After a brief academic career at the TSU, he became involved with the

Komsomol The All-Union Leninist Young Communist League, usually known as Komsomol, was a political youth organization in the Soviet Union. It is sometimes described as the youth division of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), although it w ...

, a Communist political youth organization in the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

in 1981. He advanced through the Communist Party ranks and served as head of the Ordzhonikidze district in Tbilisi from 1990 to 1991. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Zodelava was involved in private entrepreneurship before becoming head of the Tbilisi Revenue Inspection service in 1996 and Deputy Premier of the Tbilisi Municipality in 1997. He then served as mayor of

Poti Poti ( ka, ფოთი ; Mingrelian language, Mingrelian: ფუთი; Laz language, Laz: ჶაში/Faşi or ფაში/Paşi) is a port city in Georgia (country), Georgia, located on the eastern Black Sea coast in the mkhare, region of ...

, a maritime city in western Georgia, from 1997 to 1998.

Mayor of Tbilisi

On 10 August 1998,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Eduard Shevardnadze Eduard Ambrosis dze Shevardnadze ( ka, ედუარდ ამბროსის ძე შევარდნაძე; 25 January 1928 – 7 July 2014) was a Soviet and Georgian politician and diplomat who governed Georgia (country), Georgi ...

appointed Zodelava mayor of Tbilisi. He tenure was marked by continued social and economic challenges to the capital, such as frequent power outages, as well as damage to the city's infrastructure due to the 2002 Tbilisi earthquake. After the 2002 Georgian local elections, Zodelava's rule was challenged by the opposition-dominated

Tbilisi City Assembly The Tbilisi Sakrebulo ( ka, თბილისის საკრებულო, tr), is a representative body in the city government of Tbilisi, Georgia. It is also known in English as the Tbilisi City Council or Tbilisi Assembly. Histo ...

, then chaired by the young reformist politician

Mikheil Saakashvili Mikheil "Misha" Saakashvili (born 21 December 1967) is a Georgian and Ukrainian politician and jurist. He was the third president of Georgia for two consecutive terms from 25 January 2004 to 17 November 2013. He is the founder and former chair ...

. The opposition accused Zodelava of corruption and campaigned for the mayor's dismissal, and/or impeachment. On 15 November 2002, the Assembly passed a vote of no confidence in the mayor. As a result, most members of the city government resigned. However, the Assembly lacked legal power to sack the mayor, who, at that time, was appointed directly by the president. Shevardnadze refused to replace Zodelava, who then stood by the president's side in the controversial November 2003

parliamentary election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. General elections ...

. Following Shevardnadze's resignation on 23 November 2003 in the course of the bloodless

Rose Revolution The Rose Revolution or Revolution of Roses ( ka, ვარდების რევოლუცია, tr) was a nonviolent change of power that occurred in Georgia in November 2003. The event was brought about by widespread protests over the ...

, Zodelava remained in his position until 19 April 2004, when the newly elected President Mikheil Saakashvili dismissed Zodelava and appointed Zurab Chiaberashvili in his stead. After 2004, Zodeleva distanced himself from politics. He was severely injured in a car accident near Tbilisi in July 2017 and died in coma on 5 February 2019.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zodelava, Vano 1957 births 2019 deaths Union of Citizens of Georgia politicians Mayors of Tbilisi Tbilisi State University alumni Road incident deaths in Georgia (country)