Georgia's Rose Revolution

Larisa Burakova Robert A. Lawson GEORGIA’S ROSE REVOLUTION How One Country Beat the Odds, Transformed Its Economy, and Provided a Model for Reformers Everywhere 330.12294758 B945 Burakova, Larisa Georgia’s Rose Revolution: how one country beat the odds, transformed its economy, and provided a model for reformers everywhere / Larisa Burakova ; Robert A. Lawson. Guatemala, Guatemala : Universidad Francisco Marroquín. The Antigua Forum, 2014. viii, 55 p. : il. 23 cm. + 6 ilustraciones, 1 mapa ISBN: 978-9929-602-24-3 - Guatemala NOTES: This case study is part of the Antigua Forum, a project of Universidad Francisco Marroquín (UFM). 1. Privatization 2. Economic liberalization 3. Bureaucracy – Georgia – Case studies 4. Market economy - History 5. Georgia (Republic) – History – Rose Revolution (2003) I. Título. LOC: HB75-130 DDC.22 First edition, January 2014 Credits ISBN 978-9929-602-24-3 Authors Copyright © 2014 Larisa Burakova THE ANTIGUA FORUM Robert A. Lawson All rights reserved. Printed in USA. Editors Wayne Leighton No part of this book may be reproduced Elizabeth Hanckel in any manner without permission from The Antigua Forum. Coordination Claudia Sosa antiguaforum.ufm.edu Cover design Tipos D Design and layout Miguel Ángel García Review Claudia Sosa Printed in USA CONTENTS About the Antigua Forum i Prologue: Cincinnatus iii Georgia: A Brief History 1 The Georgian Reform Miracle: The Big Picture 5 Why Politics Often Gives Us Bad Policy 11 Why and How Do Reforms Happen? Georgian Economic Reforms: The Rest of the Story 21 De-Bureaucratization Privatization Liberalization Conclusion: Lessons Learned 43 Appendix 47 i ABOUT THE ANTIGUA FORUM This case study is part of the Antigua Forum, a project of Univer- sidad Francisco Marroquín (UFM). The Antigua Forum seeks to promote market-liberal reform in order to improve human well- being through liberty. It does this by serving as a “place of learn- ing” for those who are committed to advancing such reform and are in a position to do so. The project has two core components. The first is an annual gathering of a small group of experienced and current political reformers, disruptors whose projects replace inefficient institu- tions, entrepreneurs who invest in reform efforts, and experts on political communications and strategy. Here, critical questions are discussed and lessons drawn from past successes and failures, which can raise the probability of success for future reforms. The second component is a set of complementary resources designed to aid reformers as they study particular experiences, communicate with fellow reformers, and help others in their reform efforts. The case study is one of these resources. It is structured to dig deep into the reform of a specific country at a specific moment and to outline the process followed, obstacles overcome, key decisions made, and ultimately, lessons learned. This study is about Georgia. After seventy years of Soviet rule, this small South Caucasian nation began its march to markets in 1992, but the economic and political transition was initially chaotic and at times violent. The move away from Soviet central ii planning to a market economy was clear even during the chaotic 1990s and early 2000s. However, the most important market- liberal reforms began after the Rose Revolution in 2003. Today, Georgia stands as a leading example of how a country can trans- form itself and obtain a market economy. We tell the story of the market-liberal reforms that followed the Rose Revolution, and we draw lessons for like-minded reformers around the world. iii PROLOGUE: CINCINNATUS Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus (520–430 BC) was a Roman aris- tocrat and political figure. In many ways, Cincinnatus was like most Roman aristocrats of his time. A landowner and senator, he served for a year in 460 BC as one of the two consuls—the high- est position in the Roman Republic. Cincinnatus became famous in his own lifetime because of his willingness to relinquish power after the job was done. On two separate occasions, Cincinnatus was called upon to assume lead- ership roles that granted dictatorial powers. First, in 458 BC he was made dictator by the Romans to fight the Aequi, who had trapped the main Roman army. Legend has it that he was plow- ing his fields when informed that the senate had named him dictator for a term of six months. After leading a Roman army and defeating the Aequi, Cincinnatus resigned and returned to his farm, having held dictatorial powers for just sixteen days. Later in 439 BC, at age eighty, another crisis brought him the dictatorship, but again he quickly handled the situation and then resigned power to return home. To this day, Cincinnatus is held up as an example of civic vir- tue—a man willing to give up his home life to serve his country in time of need. But more importantly, Cincinnatus was wise and humble enough not to abuse the powers that were bestowed upon him. He remains a great historical counterexample to Lord Acton’s warning that “power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” iv More than two thousand years later, Americans would compare George Washington to Cincinnatus. Another legend has it that Washington had to be lured from his farm in Virginia to lead the Continental army in 1775. After the American victory, Wash- ington retired again to Mount Vernon in 1784. But again after just a few years, he was asked to preside over the Constitutional Convention of 1787. With the young nation’s future still in the balance, he agreed to run for and was easily elected to two terms as president of the United States. There is little doubt that Wash- ington could have remained president for another term or two had he run again. But, like Cincinnatus before him, Washington gave up power to return to his farm. Washington’s actions are re- membered to this day by his soldiers’ descendants in the Society of the Cincinnati. The willingness of individuals to sacrifice their personal comfort for their fellow countrymen in times of crisis is certainly some- thing to be lauded. Even more laudable is having the humility to exercise power judiciously—making the tough decisions—and holding that power for no longer than necessary. The story told here involves individuals who, like Cincinnatus and Washing- ton, answered their country’s call to service in a time of great need, made the tough decisions, and then retired from public service soon thereafter. 1 GEORGIA: A BRIEF HISTORY With a population of 4.5 million and GDP (in purchasing power parity terms) of US$25 billion, Georgia has a per capita income of about $5,600. Export products include fruits and nuts, wine, mined ores, and refurbished used cars that are shipped abroad. For energy, Georgia primarily relies on hydroelectric power and imports oil and gas, mostly from neighboring Azerbaijan.1 The history of Georgia stretches back many centuries. This fer- tile region on the far eastern side of the Black Sea found itself at the crossroads of early civilizations, such as Greece to the west and Persia to the east. Archaeological evidence of Geor- gian civilizations dates back to the seventh century BC. Major Georgian kingdoms were formed by the fourth century AD in eastern and western Georgia. In the eleventh century, the two major kingdoms unified to cover much of modern-day Georgian territory. Throughout the Middle Ages, these kingdoms faced at- tacks from Moguls, Ottoman Turks, Persians, and other groups. Most Georgians today are members of the Georgian Orthodox Church, which traces its origins to Christianity from the eastern Georgian kingdom of Kartli in AD 337. Originally subordinate to the Apostolic See in Antioch (established by Saint Peter) in present-day southern Turkey, the Georgian Orthodox Church slowly established its autonomy. This was fully achieved by the eleventh century, and since that time the catholicos-patriarch of all Georgia has led the Church. 1. CIA World Factbook, “Georgia,” last modified November 4, 2013, https://www.cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gg.html. 2 Georgia’s Rose Revolution Over several decades during the late eighteenth and early nine- teenth centuries, the Russian Empire annexed much of the region south of the Caucasus Mountains (see map, figure 1). Thus began nearly two centuries of Russian occupation and rule in the region. After a brief period of independence during the Russian Revolution, Georgia fell back into Russian hands in 1921 and eventually became the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, part of the Soviet Union. Then after seven decades of Soviet rule, Georgia declared independence on April 9, 1991, just before the collapse of the Soviet Union itself.2 Figure 1. Map of Georgia Wikimedia Commons The immediate aftermath of independence was chaotic, includ- ing a bloody coup d’état and ethnic conflicts in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Adjara. Economical- ly, things were little better. The breakup of the Soviet Union disrupted the long-established, if economically irrational, So- viet economic plan. Countries like Georgia, which had aligned their economies to support the Soviet plan, found themselves in limbo. The basic questions of economic life—What to produce? How to produce? Who to sell to?—had not been asked by 2. The information in this section was drawn from Wikipedia’s Georgia entry and augmented with personal knowledge acquired from conversations during many visits to the country. “Georgia (country),” Wikipedia, last modified November 18, 2013, http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_(country). Georgia: A Brief History 3 Georgians for seventy years. Many state-owned enterprises now owned by the Georgian government floundered as the patterns of specialization and trade within the old Soviet Union collapsed.

Load more