Decrepit hotels and apartment buildings in Tbilisi still overflow with people who fled their homes in Abkhazia eight years ago. Shevardnadze's attempts to introduce reforms earned admiration in the West, which rewarded him with ample financial aid. The West has long harbored special feelings for this country of 5 million, considering it a reliable friend in a volatile region, a bulwark against Russian imperialism and a safe conduit for oil from Central Asia. However, Shevardnadze's push for change made him the target of two attempts on his life, in 1995 and 1998. Insecurity, though, is still the order of the day for many of his people.
Work is hard to find.
Many buildings shelled in Tbilisi during the civil war that followed independence remain crumbled or abandoned. And electricity shortages have taken on crisis proportions, especially during winter when the heat was out for long stretches. Even now, the lights in the city's nicest hotels blink on and off, and government officials find their way around the pitch-black halls of a ministry building with flashlights. Traffic signals often do not work, inviting utter chaos at some of the busiest intersections while police officers chat idly. When he came to power, we hoped that everything would be okay.