Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies
‘Georgia’s Parliamentary Election: How Free and Fair Has the
Campaign Been, and How Should the U.S. Government Respond?’
(September 20, 2012) 1. Georgia’s record of democratic
transformation is controversial. On the one hand, the country is
freer than the immediate neighborhood and demonstrates at times
spectacular success at institutional modernization. The
government was able to liberalize the economy, attract increased
foreign direct investment, improve revenue collection, curb
elements of small scale corruption in public services,
streamline inefficient administration, legalize the ‘shadow
economy’, reduce crime, provide uninterrupted energy supply, and
rebuild roads and other infrastructure. Among the most important
and spectacular successes of the new government has been the
overthrow of the autocratic leader of Adjara previously defying
the central government. On the other hand, the overall quality
of democracy promotion raises concerns. Georg