Nino Burjanadze facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nino Burjanadze
ნინო ბურჯანაძე
Burjanadze in 2019
Leader of Democratic Movement-United Georgia
Incumbent
Assumed office 23 November 2008
Preceded by	party established
Acting President of Georgia
In office 25 November 2007 – 20 January 2008
Prime Minister	Lado Gurgenidze
Preceded by	Mikheil Saakashvili
Succeeded by	Mikheil Saakashvili
In office 23 November 2003 – 25 January 2004
Prime Minister	Avtandil Jorbenadze Zurab Zhvania
Preceded by	Eduard Shevardnadze
Succeeded by	Mikheil Saakashvili
3rd Speaker of the Parliament
In office 9 November 2001 – 7 June 2008
Preceded by	Zurab Zhvania
Succeeded by	Davit Bakradze
Chairman of the United National Movement
In office 2004 – May 2008
Preceded by	Mikheil Saakashvili
Succeeded by	Davit Bakradze
Member of the Parliament of Georgia
In office 25 November 1995 – 7 June 2008
Personal details
Born	(1964-07-16) 16 July 1964 (age 60) Kutaisi, Soviet Union (now Georgia)
Political party	Democratic Movement-United Georgia (2008–present)
Other political affiliations	United National Movement (2003–2008) Burjanadze-Democrats (2002–2003) Union of Citizens of Georgia (1995-2002)
Spouse	Badri Bitsadze
Alma mater	Tbilisi State University Moscow State University
Signature

Nino Burjanadze (born 16 July 1964) is a Georgian politician and lawyer. She was the Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia from November 2001 to June 2008. She was the first woman to serve as the acting head of state of Georgia. She did this twice: first in 2003-2004 after the Rose Revolution, and again in 2007-2008. In 2008, she became a leader of the opposition party, Democratic Movement-United Georgia. She also ran for president in 2013, finishing third.

Early Life and Education

Nino Burjanadze was born in Kutaisi, which was then part of Soviet Georgia. She studied Law at Tbilisi State University and graduated in 1986. She then continued her studies at Moscow State University, earning a special degree in International Law in 1990.

In 1991, she became a teacher of International Law at Tbilisi State University. At the same time, she worked as an expert for the Parliament of Georgia. She also advised the Ministry for Environment Protection on international law.

Political Journey

In 1995, Burjanadze was elected to the Parliament of Georgia. She was part of the Union of Citizens of Georgia (UCG) party. Her father, a businessman, helped support her financially. From 1998 to 1999, she led the Parliamentary Committee for Constitutional Law. Then, from 2000 to 2001, she led the Committee for International Relations.

She became known for supporting pro-Western ideas. She wanted Georgia to join groups like NATO and the European Union. She worked closely with other reformist leaders, Mikheil Saakashvili and Zurab Zhvania. When Zhvania left his role as parliamentary chairperson in November 2001, Nino Burjanadze took his place.

Becoming Speaker of Parliament

Even though she helped President Eduard Shevardnadze with foreign countries, she spoke out against problems in his government. She felt his government was not doing a good job at home. In 2002, she left the UCG party. She then formed her own opposition party called the Burjanadze-Democrats.

The Rose Revolution

In November 2003, there were parliamentary elections that many believed were unfair. Nino Burjanadze joined other leaders to protest the results. They called for large demonstrations against President Shevardnadze. This period became known as the Rose Revolution.

When President Shevardnadze resigned on 23 November, Nino Burjanadze automatically became the acting president of Georgia. One of her first actions was to ask for national unity. She also ended the state of emergency to bring peace back to the country. People respected her, and she was seen as one of the most popular political figures.

Return to Parliament and Second Acting Presidency

On 4 January 2004, Mikheil Saakashvili won the presidential elections. He became president on 25 January. A new Parliament was elected in March, and Burjanadze became the Speaker again on 22 April.

Later, in 2007, there was another political crisis. President Saakashvili decided to step down early to run in new elections. So, on 25 November 2007, Nino Burjanadze became acting president for a second time. She held this role until Saakashvili won the election and returned to office on 20 January 2008.

After the Speakership

Nino Burjanadze was supposed to lead the United National Movement party list for the parliamentary elections in May 2008. However, she surprised everyone by announcing she would not seek re-election. Her term as Speaker ended on 7 June 2008, and David Bakradze took over.

In June 2008, Burjanadze announced she would start a special organization called a think tank. This group, named the Foundation for Democracy and Development (FDD), started in July 2008. Its goal was to be a new way to be involved in politics.

In October 2008, after the 2008 South Ossetia war, Burjanadze announced she was forming a new opposition party. This party was called Democratic Movement–United Georgia.

2011 Protests

In May 2011, Nino Burjanadze led protests in Tbilisi. More than 10,000 Georgians gathered to ask for President Mikheil Saakashvili's resignation. There were also protests in the town of Batumi. On 26 May, police used tear gas and rubber bullets to stop the protests. The next year, the ruling party lost the parliamentary elections.

Political Views

Nino Burjanadze believes that Soviet symbols should not be banned. She says this is because Georgian soldiers fought under these symbols during World War II. She stated that the government should focus on current problems instead of banning symbols.

Personal Life

Nino Burjanadze is married to Badri Bitsadze. He used to be in charge of Georgia's border defense. They have two sons. Besides Georgian, she can speak Russian and English.

See Also

• In Spanish: Nino Buryanadze para niños