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                                    EXHIBIT A

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY


KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS,  that I, GEORGE SOROS,  hereby make,  constitute
and appoint each of SEAN C. WARREN and MICHAEL C. NEUS, acting individually,  as
my agent and attorney-in-fact for the purpose of executing in my name, (a) in my
personal  capacity or (b) in my capacity as Chairman  of,  member of or in other
capacities  with  Soros  Fund  Management  LLC,  all  documents,   certificates,
instruments,  statements,  filings and agreements ("documents") to be filed with
or  delivered  to any foreign or domestic  governmental  or  regulatory  body or
required or  requested  by any other  person or entity  pursuant to any legal or
regulatory  requirement  relating to the acquisition,  ownership,  management or
disposition of securities or other investments, and any other documents relating
or ancillary  thereto,  including but not limited to, all documents  relating to
filings with the United States  Securities and Exchange  Commission  (the "SEC")
pursuant to the Securities  Act of 1933 or the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934
(the "Act") and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, including: (1)
all documents relating to the beneficial  ownership of securities required to be
filed  with  the SEC  pursuant  to  Section  13(d) or  Section  16(a) of the Act
including, without limitation: (a) any acquisition statements on Schedule 13D or
Schedule  13G and  any  amendments  thereto,  (b) any  joint  filing  agreements
pursuant to Rule  13d-1(f) and (c) any initial  statements  of, or statements of
changes in,  beneficial  ownership of securities on Form 3, Form 4 or Form 5 and
(2) any  information  statements  on Form 13F  required to be filed with the SEC
pursuant to Section 13(f) of the Act.

All past acts of the attorney-in-fact in furtherance of the foregoing are hereby
ratified and confirmed.

This power of attorney shall be valid from the date hereof until revoked by me.

IN  WITNESS  WHEREOF,  I have  executed  this  instrument  as of the  1st day of
January, 1997.




                                  /s/ George Soros
                                  ----------------------------------------------
                                  GEORGE SOROS


