Georgia's 'Misha' wins support in war

Tbilisi: On the first day of the war, as he spoke on television about his country's attempt to retake a breakaway territory, Mikheil Saakashvili, Georgian president, had a little smile on his face.

As the situation became more grave, so did he, and in the following days he seemed at turns stressed, tearful, defiant and solemn.

In Gori, the scene of heavy Russian bombardment, he appeared in a flak jacket, trailed by camera crews, and on Monday night, when Tbilisi residents thought their turn was next, his was the demeanour of a captain going down with the ship.

Emotional issue

Georgia has always been the most theatrical of nations, and Saakashvili - "Misha" to his people - is the most theatrical of presidents. He swept into power four years ago as a revolutionary, promising to stamp out corruption and bring economic stability, and in some cases he delivered. But the issue of two breakaway regions was perhaps the most emotional - and quixotic - of his causes. It also came with the possibility of the most serious consequences.

"Music videos and flowery speeches are one thing, but the shelling of a city that you view as one of your heartland is not done lightly," said Jonathan Kulick, director of studies at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies in Tbilisi. "Clearly this is going to be a signal point in his legacy."

Russians accuse Saakashvili of genocide in launching his attack on South Ossetia last week. Supporters scoff at that, but as news accounts emerge of civilians killed by Georgian fire and towns ravaged, some are starting to question privately whether the president committed grave errors.

Though the frozen conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia long predated Saakashvili, he made the regions' recovery a main theme of his presidency. He created a new ministry devoted to that cause, and often reminded his people that the separatist regions - especially the seaside resort area of Abkhazia - were part of their rightful inheritance. Russia's backing of the separatists fitted well into Georgians' historical idea of themselves as a small but valiant country up against large and brutal forces.

His emotional public image, such as a campaign poster last year depicting a tear rolling down his cheek as he talked with a poverty-stricken citizen, were, he said, genuine.

"I can only be myself," he said. "The people don't accept [if] I stage things."

When things were not going so well for the president, the breakaway regions proved useful. When crowds poured into the streets in order to protest Saakashvili's policies on the economy and rule of law, the administration branded his critics as Russian agents, and pro-government television stations showed secret tapes of opposition leaders holding conversations with Russian diplomats.

When critics pointed to shortcomings in areas such as human rights and rule of law, administration members routinely invoked Abkhazia and South Ossetia, saying these were more pressing issues. According to some of them, Georgia was already at war with Russia.

Rallying support

When war finally erupted last week, it affirmed what many in the leadership had long been saying, and brought a huge amount of international attention to the little-known conflict here. It also caused once-vocal critics to put aside their differences and rally around the president.