IV 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 108
Commemorating the life of the late Zurab Zhvania, Prime Minister of the 
Republic of Georgia. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 16, 2005
Mr. GALLEGLY (for himself, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, and Mr. WEXLER) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on International Relations 
RESOLUTION 
Commemorating the life of the late Zurab Zhvania, Prime 
Minister of the Republic of Georgia.
Whereas on the night of February 3, 2005, the Prime Min-
ister of the Republic of Georgia, Zurab Zhvania, died, ap-
parently due to carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a 
malfunctioning heater; 
Whereas the death of Prime Minister Zhvania at the age of 
41 is a tragic loss for the Republic of Georgia; 
Whereas Zurab Zhvania was a dedicated reformer whose vi-
sionary leadership inspired a new generation of political 
leaders in the Republic of Georgia; 
Whereas Zurab Zhvania founded the Citizen’s Union Party, 
which won elections in 1995, making him the Speaker of 
the Georgian Parliament;
•HRES 108 IH 
Whereas under the leadership of Speaker Zhvania, the Geor-
gian Parliament was transformed into an effective and 
transparent legislative institution; 
Whereas in November 2001, Speaker Zhvania resigned his 
position in protest when government authorities at-
tempted to suppress the leading independent television 
station in the Republic of Georgia; 
Whereas Zurab Zhvania formed the United Democrats, a 
party that blossomed into one of the major forces that 
brought about the Rose Revolution in the Republic of 
Georgia in November 2003; 
Whereas in the most dangerous hours of the Rose Revolution, 
when it appeared that armed force could be used against 
the peaceful protestors, Zurab Zhvania dismissed his 
bodyguards and led a march to Parliament accompanied 
only by his young children; 
Whereas Zurab Zhvania was named Prime Minister of the 
Republic of Georgia in November 2003, and led govern-
mental efforts to develop and implement far-reaching eco-
nomic, judicial, military, and social reforms thereby turn-
ing the promise of the Rose Revolution into real results 
that have dramatically improved life in the Republic of 
Georgia; 
Whereas the strong commitment of Zurab Zhvania to the 
peaceful restoration of the territorial integrity of the Re-
public of Georgia was most recently displayed in the cen-
tral role he played in the development of the unprece-
dented and generous proposal of the Republic of Georgia 
for resolving the status of South Ossetia peacefully and 
justly; and
•HRES 108 IH 
Whereas Zurab Zhvania’s vision of the historical destiny of 
the Republic of Georgia was eloquently expressed before 
the Council of Europe on April 27, 1999, when he said, 
‘‘I am Georgian and therefore, I am European’’: Now, 
therefore, be it.
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) expresses its sympathy and deepest condo-
lences to the family of Zurab Zhvania for their trag-
ic loss of a son, husband, and father, and to the peo-
ple of the Republic of Georgia for the death of their 
Prime Minister; 
(2) commends the courage, energy, political 
imagination, and leadership of Zurab Zhvania that 
were so critical to the development of a democratic 
Republic of Georgia; 
(3) recognizes that the integration of the Re-
public of Georgia into Euro-Atlantic institutions will 
be the completion of the vision of Zurab Zhvania 
and his most lasting legacy; and 
(4) expresses its solidarity with the people and 
Government of the Republic of Georgia at this dif-
ficult time.
Æ