Chief of General Staff Sacked
President Saakashvili dismissed on February 18 Commander of the General Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces Vakhtang Kapanadze following the request of Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili, the Georgian President?s spokesperson Alana Gagloeva announced late on Friday.
The President?s spokesperson said that Deputy Commander of the General Staff Levan Nikolaishvili will replace Kapanadze. The latter will be appointed as the Georgian President?s aide for military issues.
This is the second reshuffle in the General Staff for past six months. U.S.-educated Levan Kapanadze replaced Givi Iukuridze on the position of Commander of the General Staff last August after the sporadic clashes between eh Georgian and Ossetian forces in the breakaway region.
The President?s spokesperson said that the recent reshuffle aims at fostering reforms in the Georgian army.
