Citizens’ Union of Georgia

political party, Georgia

Also known as: CUG

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 16, 2026

Quick Summary

The Citizens' Union of Georgia (CUG) was a significant political party in Georgia. It emerged in the years following Georgia's independence from the Soviet Union. The CUG was an alliance formed by Eduard Shevardnadze, who served as the president of Georgia. The party achieved electoral success, winning a majority of seats in the parliament in legislative elections held four years after its formation in 1995, and Shevardnadze was reelected president with a substantial majority in 2000. However, Shevardnadze's administration faced accusations of widespread corruption and election fraud.123

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

5 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Georgia
Independent Georgia
…vote, and his party, the Citizens’ Union of Georgia (CUG), won 107 of the parliament’s 231 seats. In legislative elections four years later, the CUG won an absolute majority, and in 2000 Shevardnadze was reelected president with nearly 80 percent of the vote. Accusations that he condoned widespread corruption and…
Read More
…vote, and his party, the Citizens’ Union of Georgia (CUG), won 107 of the parliament’s 231 seats. In legislative elections four years later, the CUG won an absolute majority, and in 2000 Shevardnadze was reelected president with nearly 80 percent of the vote. Accusations that he condoned widespread corruption and…
Read More