Georgia Eyes Former US General as Candidate For Presidency
John Shalikashvili
A prominent Georgian lawmaker has called for a nationwide campaign to elect a U.S. general to be Georgia's next president.
General John Shalikashvili, a former chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, is of Georgian descent.
Lawmaker Gherman Patsatsiya said Friday he does not know of anyone as well qualified to lead Georgia out of its economic problems than General Shalikashvili.
Mr. Patsatsiya said the Georgian constitution could be amended to allow the general to run for president in 2005.
General Shalikashvili has not yet responded to the call. The general is best known for leading an international force that protected Kurds in northern Iraq after the 1991 Gulf War.
He was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Clinton administration from 1993 until 1997.