DILEMMA OF THE GEORGIAN ELECTIONS: POLITICAL TRANSFORMATIONS OR A SLIDE TOWARD NON-LIBERAL DEMOCRACY
Abstract
For a long time now elections in Georgia have been a source of political crises rather than a mechanism of democratic power change.
n recent Georgian history, in fact during the en-tire period of its independence, the government in power has never been changed through elections.
he only exception so far were the very first multiparty parliamentary elections of 28 October,1990 when the national political force, The Round Table—Free Georgia, headed by Zviad Gamsa-khurdia replaced the ruling Communist Party.
ater President Gamsakhurdia was overthrown.
or some time after the regime change the ruling party led by Eduard Shevardnadze won all the successive elections until he, in turn, was removed from power by the revolution of 2003. After that the republic’s election tradition underwent certain changes predated by the political crisis of the fall of 2007, which reached its height on 7 November when the demonstration of the opposition forces was dissipated, and a state of emergency declared.
he West insisted on a pre-term presidential election being held on 5 January, 2008 followed by parliamentary elections on 21 May. The elections did not replace the leadership, however they prompted those in power to bring new people into the upper echelons and carry out partial election reform. On the other hand, these elections revealed with unprecedented clarity the degree to which the republic’s political system had been transformed and its trend toward non-liberal democracy.
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References
Based on the materials of Mtavari gazeti, 5-6 January, 2004 (in Georgian).
[www.cec.gov.ge], 2008.
[www.OSCE.org/odihr], 2008.
See: Constitution of Georgia of 1995, Art 50:2, amendments of 1999.
See: Constitution of Georgia of 1995, Art 50:2, amendments of 2008.
See: Election Code of Georgia. Art 77, amendments of 2008.
Based on the materials of Mtavari gazeti of 5 April, 2004.
Based on the materials of Mtavari gazeti of 1 April, 2004.
See: Constitution of Georgia. Original version of 1995.
[www.cec.gov.ge], 2008.
[www.cec.gov.ge], 2008.
Based on the materials of Mtavari gazeti of 21 November, 2003.
[www.OSCE.org/odihr], 2008.
[www.civil.ge/eng_/article.php?id=16927], 2008.
The Memorandum between Public Television and Political Parties, 16 April, 2008.
www.OSCE.org/odihr], 2008.
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