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Georgia's October 2013 Presidential Election: Outcome and Implications
Georgia’s October 2013 Presidential Election: Outcome and Implications Jim Nichol Specialist in Russian and Eurasian Affairs November 4, 2013 Congressional Research Service 7-5700 www.crs.gov R43299 Georgia’s October 2013 Presidential Election: Outcome and Implications Summary This report discusses Georgia’s October 27, 2013, presidential election and its implications for U.S. interests. The election took place one year after a legislative election that witnessed the mostly peaceful shift of legislative and ministerial power from the ruling party, the United National Movement (UNM), to the Georgia Dream (GD) coalition bloc. The newly elected president, Giorgi Margvelashvili of the GD, will have fewer powers under recently approved constitutional changes. Most observers have viewed the 2013 presidential election as marking Georgia’s further progress in democratization, including a peaceful shift of presidential power from UNM head Mikheil Saakashvili to GD official Margvelashvili. Some analysts, however, have raised concerns over ongoing tensions between the UNM and GD, as well as Prime Minister and GD head Bidzini Ivanishvili’s announcement on November 2, 2013, that he will step down as the premier. In his victory speech on October 28, Margvelashvili reaffirmed Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic foreign policy orientation, including the pursuit of Georgia’s future membership in NATO and the EU. At the same time, he reiterated that GD would continue to pursue the normalization of ties with Russia. On October 28, 2013, the U.S. State Department praised the Georgian presidential election as generally democratic and expressing the will of the people, and as demonstrating Georgia’s continuing commitment to Euro-Atlantic integration. -
Quarterly Report on the Political Situation in Georgia and Related Foreign Malign Influence
REPORT QUARTERLY REPORT ON THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN GEORGIA AND RELATED FOREIGN MALIGN INFLUENCE 2021 EUROPEAN VALUES CENTER FOR SECURITY POLICY European Values Center for Security Policy is a non-governmental, non-partisan institute defending freedom and sovereignty. We protect liberal democracy, the rule of law, and the transatlantic alliance of the Czech Republic. We help defend Europe especially from the malign influences of Russia, China, and Islamic extremists. We envision a free, safe, and prosperous Czechia within a vibrant Central Europe that is an integral part of the transatlantic community and is based on a firm alliance with the USA. Authors: David Stulík - Head of Eastern European Program, European Values Center for Security Policy Miranda Betchvaia - Intern of Eastern European Program, European Values Center for Security Policy Notice: The following report (ISSUE 3) aims to provide a brief overview of the political crisis in Georgia and its development during the period of January-March 2021. The crisis has been evolving since the parliamentary elections held on 31 October 2020. The report briefly summarizes the background context, touches upon the current political deadlock, and includes the key developments since the previous quarterly report. Responses from the third sector and Georgia’s Western partners will also be discussed. Besides, the report considers anti-Western messages and disinformation, which have contributed to Georgia’s political crisis. This report has been produced under the two-years project implemented by the Prague-based European Values Center for Security Policy in Georgia. The project is supported by the Transition Promotion Program of The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Emerging Donors Challenge Program of the USAID. -
Georgia Between Dominant-Power Politics, Feckless Pluralism, and Democracy Christofer Berglund Uppsala University
GEORGIA BETWEEN DOMINANT-POWER POLITICS, FECKLESS PLURALISM, AND DEMOCRACY CHRISTOFER BERGLUND UPPSALA UNIVERSITY Abstract: This article charts the last decade of Georgian politics (2003-2013) through theories of semi- authoritarianism and democratization. It first dissects Saakashvili’s system of dominant-power politics, which enabled state-building reforms, yet atrophied political competition. It then analyzes the nested two-level game between incumbents and opposition in the run-up to the 2012 parliamentary elections. After detailing the verdict of Election Day, the article turns to the tense cohabitation that next pushed Georgia in the direction of feckless pluralism. The last section examines if the new ruling party is taking Georgia in the direction of democratic reforms or authoritarian closure. nder what conditions do elections in semi-authoritarian states spur Udemocratic breakthroughs?1 This is a conundrum relevant to many hybrid regimes in the region of the former Soviet Union. It is also a ques- tion of particular importance for the citizens of Georgia, who surprisingly voted out the United National Movement (UNM) and instead backed the Georgian Dream (GD), both in the October 2012 parliamentary elections and in the October 2013 presidential elections. This article aims to shed light on the dramatic, but not necessarily democratic, political changes unleashed by these events. It is, however, beneficial to first consult some of the concepts and insights that have been generated by earlier research on 1 The author is grateful to Sten Berglund, Ketevan Bolkvadze, Selt Hasön, and participants at the 5th East Asian Conference on Slavic-Eurasian Studies, as well as the anonymous re- viewers, for their useful feedback. -
Letter of Concern of April 2015
7 April 2015 Mr Giorgi Margvelashvili President of Georgia Abdushelishvili st. 1, Tbilisi, Georgia1 Mr Irakli Garibashvili Prime Minister of Georgia 7 Ingorokva St, Tbilisi 0114, Georgia2 Mr David Usupashvili Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia 26, Abashidze Street, Kutaisi, 4600 Georgia Email: [email protected] Political leaders in Georgia must stop slandering human rights NGOs Mr President, Mr Prime Minister, Mr Chairperson, We, the undersigned members and partners of the Human Rights House Network and the South Caucasus Network of Human Rights Defenders, call upon political leaders in Georgia to stop slandering non-governmental organisations with unfounded accusations and suggestions that their work would harm the country. Since October 2013, public verbal attacks against human rights organisations by leading political figures in Georgia have increased. The situation is starting to resemble to an anti-civil society campaign. In October 2013, the Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Energy Resources of Georgia, Kakhi Kaladze, criticised the non-governmental organisations, which opposed the construction of a hydroelectric power plant and used derogatory terms to express his discontent over their protest.3 In May 2014, you, Mr Prime Minister, slammed NGOs participating in the campaign about privacy rights, “This Affects You,”4 and stated that they “undermine” the functioning of the State and “damage of the international reputation of the country.”5 Such terms do not value disagreement with NGOs and their participation in public debate, but rather delegitimised their work. Further more, the Prime Minister’s statement encouraged other politicians to make critical statements about CSOs and start activities against them. -
Statement by H°E. Mr. Irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia
Statement by H°E. Mr. irakli Garibashvili, Prime Minister of Georgia General Debate of the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly New York, 1 October 2015 Mr. President, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a great honor to once again address the General Assembly as we mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. This occasion provides an opportunity to reflect on our accomplishments and recognize the challenges that remain in achieving peace, security, and human rights at home and abroad. My friends, Georgia is a small country with a big heart and even bigger dreams. Georgia is on the move and headed in the right direction. Our vision is clear and our future is bright. In a major announcement this week, the World Bank released its comprehensive new report on governance. I am very proud to say that Georgia was at the top of the charts in overall progress in all six measures. According to the rankings, since 2012, Georgia jumped: . 13 places in regulatory quality, 16 places in voice and accountability, , 19 places in rule of law, 22 places in political stability and government effectiveness, and 23 places in control of corruption. This dramatic progress underscores the determination of our government to strengthen the rule of law and media freedom, build a modern economy, and move our nation forward with confidence. By contrast, just two decades ago Georgia was an isolated country torn by civil war, with few functioning institutions of modern statehood. Today, we are writing a new chapter in the history of our nation. -
Gakharia Resigns, International Partners React to Ongoing Events
“Impartial, Informative, Insightful” GEL 3.00 #034 (4838) FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021 WWW.MESSENGER.COM.GE POLITICS Gakharia resigns, international partners GD nominates Defense react to ongoing events Minister Gharibashvili as PM candidate for second term FORMER PM RESIGNED OVER THE ISSUE OF MELIA’S SENTENCING. FULL STORY ON Page 2 POLITICS EU, US Embassy call to avoid escalation FULL STORY ON Page 3 Giorgi Gakharia has resigned as the Prime Minister of the country BY NIKA GAMTSEMLIDZE National Movement would be a danger- On Sunday, the Tbilisi City Court noted that he appreciated the decision ous political move and it would end up made a decision to arrest Melia for the of the former Prime Minister and said iorgi Gakharia announced his deci- escalating the already unstable and violation of the conditions of the bail. that there is an urgent need for the gov- G sion to resign as Georgian Prime polarized political situation. This has led to mass protests in the ernment to start thinking about snap Minister yesterday. Gakaria cited dif- The Former Prime Minister of the country, and the international partners elections. ferences of opinion within the Georgian country has also criticized Nika Melia for of Georgia reacted harshly. Melia noted that Gakharia’s decision Dream team over Nika Melia’s arrest not disregarding the law and once again The opposition of the country is de- essentially means that he is admitting warrant. As the former PM said, the said that he is responsible for encourag- manding snap elections and welcomes that the government of the country is arrest of the chairman of the United ing protests on June 20, 2019. -
Chronicle: the Caucasus in the Year 2013
Chronicle: The Caucasus In the Year 2013 January 9 January 2013 The Georgian State audit agency launches a probe into the alleged violation of funding political parties’ rules by the United National Movement during the electoral campaign of 2012 11 January 2013 Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulates the head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Ilia II, on his 80th birthday 18 January 2013 During an official visit to Armenia, Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili promises to the head of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church Catholicos Karekin II that Armenian history will soon be taught in Georgian schools 19 January 2013 police in Baku clash with shopkeepers protesting a rent increase by the managers of Azerbaijan’s largest shopping center 24 January 2013 The Azerbaijani police break up protests in the town of Ismayilli demanding the resignation of the local governor Nizami Alekberov 26 January 2013 Hundreds of people demonstrate in Baku to express their solidarity with the protests in the town of Ismayilli and some 40 participants are detained by the police including the blogger Emin Milli and investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova 26 January 2013 A statue of Azerbaijan’s late President Heydar Aliyev is removed from a park in Mexico City 27 January 2013 Three activists involved in a 26 January protest in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku are given prison sentences 28 January 2013 The Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers meet in Paris for talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group and aimed at settling the conflict -
September 2019
SOCIAL MEDIA 2 - 8 SEPTEMBER 2019 ISSUE N: 117 ParliameNt Supports Prime MiNister Giorgi Gakharia’s CabiNet 08.09.2019 TBILISI • The GeorgiaN Dream ruliNg party NomiNated INterior MiNister Giorgi Gakharia for the premiership, replaciNg Mamuka Bakhtadze, who aNNouNced his resigNatioN. • The ParliameNt of Georgia, iN vote of coNfideNce, has supported the reNewed CabiNet uNder Prime MiNister Giorgi Gakharia, by 98 votes agaiNst NoNe. • The legislative body has also supported the 2019-2020 GoverNmeNt Program. The reNewed CabiNet iNcludes two New miNisters: MiNister of INterNal affairs, VakhtaNg Gomelauri aNd MiNister of DefeNse, Irakli Garibashvili. MORE PresideNt Salome Zourabichvili Paid Visit to the Republic of PolaNd 1-2.09.2019 WARSAW • PresideNt Salome Zourabichvili paid a workiNg visit to the Republic of PolaNd. PresideNt atteNded the commemorative ceremoNy markiNg the 80th ANNiversary siNce the begiNNiNg of World War II. DuriNg the ceremoNy, ANdrzej Duda, PresideNt of PolaNd meNtioNed the occupatioN of Georgia’s territories iN his speech aNd highlighted that Europe has Not made respective coNclusioNs out of World War II. • WithiN the frames of her visit, PresideNt Salome Zourabichvili held bilateral meetiNgs with the PresideNt of UkraiNe, PresideNt of Bulgaria, PresideNt of EstoNia, PresideNt of Slovak Republic, Prime MiNister of Belgium, aNd Speaker of Swedish ParliameNt. • PresideNt Zourabichvili opeNed the ExhibitioN “50 WomeN of Georgia” aNd the CoNfereNce “the Role of WomeN iN Politics”, co-orgaNized iN Polish SeNate by the SeNate of the Republic of PolaNd aNd the Embassy of Georgia iN PolaNd, uNder the auspices of GeorgiaN-Polish JoiNt ParliameNtary Assembly. MORE PresideNt of the Republic of HuNgary Paid aN Official Visit to Georgia 4-6.09.2019 TBILISI • PresideNt of the Republic of HuNgary JáNos Áder paid aN official visit to Georgia. -
Parliament of Georgia in 2019
Assessment of the Performance of the Parliament of Georgia in 2019 TBILISI, 2020 Head of Research: Lika Sajaia Lead researcher: Tamar Tatanashvili Researcher: Gigi Chikhladze George Topouria We would like to thank the interns of Transparency International of Georgia for participating in the research: Marita Gorgoladze, Guri Baliashvili, Giorgi Shukvani, Mariam Modebadze. The report was prepared with the financial assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Norway Contents Research Methodology __________________________________________________ 8 Chapter 1. Main Findings _________________________________________________ 9 Chapter 2. General Information about the Parliament ____________________ 12 Chapter 3. General Statistics ____________________________________________ 14 Chapter 4. Important events ______________________________________________ 16 4.1 Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (chaired by Russian Duma Deputy Gavrilov) and a wave of protests _________________________________ 16 4.2 Failure of the proportional election system __________________________ 17 4.3 Election of Supreme Court judges ____________________________________ 19 4.4 Abolishing Nikanor Melia’s immunity and terminating his parliamentary mandate ________________________________________________________________ 20 4.5 Changes in the Composition of Parliamentary Subjects _______________ 20 4.6 Vote of Confidence in the Government _____________________________ 21 4.7 Report of the President ______________________________________________ 21 Chapter -
Chronicle: the Caucasus in the Year 2014
Chronicle: The Caucasus In the Year 2014 January 1 January 2014 The Georgian State Ministry for Reintegration is renamed into State Ministry for Reconciliation and Civic Equality in a move that Tbilisi officials say will help engagement with the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia 4 January 2014 Russia pledges over 180 million dollars to the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2014–2016 through a decree signed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev with the financial aid to be provided via the Russian Ministry of Construction 14 January 2014 Hungary becomes the twelfth country to recognize Georgia’s neutral travel documents designed for residents of the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia 16 January 2014 Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili says that Russia lacks the levers to deter the country’s signing of an Association Agreement with the European Union although provocations are expected 20 January 2014 Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili meets with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during a visit to Turkey that includes meetings with representatives of the Georgian diaspora 30 January 2014 Czech President Milos Zeman says during Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian’s official visit to Prague that the mass killings of Armenians during the Ottoman empire amounted to a “genocide” February 3 February 2014 Azerbaijani parliament speaker Oqtay Asadov calls on religious clerics to perform prayers in Azeri and not in Arabic to make it easier for people to -
Georgia by Paul Rimple
Georgia by Paul Rimple Capital: Tbilisi Population: 4.49 million GNI/capita, PPP: US$5,790 Source: The data above are drawn from the World Bank’sWorld Development Indicators 2014. Nations in Transit Ratings and Averaged Scores 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Electoral Process 4.75 4.75 4.50 4.75 5.25 5.25 5.00 5.00 4.75 4.50 Civil Society 3.50 3.50 3.50 3.50 3.75 3.75 3.75 3.75 3.75 3.75 Independent Media 4.25 4.25 4.00 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.25 4.00 National Democratic Governance 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.75 6.00 6.00 5.75 5.75 5.50 5.50 Local Democratic Governance 6.00 5.75 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.50 5.50 Judicial Framework and Independence 5.00 4.75 4.75 4.75 4.75 4.75 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 Corruption 5.75 5.50 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 4.75 4.50 4.50 4.50 Democracy Score 4.96 4.86 4.68 4.79 4.93 4.93 4.86 4.82 4.75 4.68 NOTE: The ratings reflect the consensus of Freedom House, its academic advisers, and the author(s) of this report. The opinions expressed in this report are those of the author(s). The ratings are based on a scale of 1 to 7, with 1 representing the highest level of democratic progress and 7 the lowest. -
Specific Support to Georgia: Horizon 2020 Policy Support Facility Mission (1) Mission Dates: December 4-7, 2017 Agenda Monday, December 4, 2017
Specific Support to Georgia: Horizon 2020 Policy Support Facility mission (1) Mission dates: December 4-7, 2017 Agenda Monday, December 4, 2017 Time Meeting Venue 13:00 – 14:00 Dr. Mikheil Chkhenkeli, Minister of Education and Ministry of Education and Science of Science of Georgia Georgia Address: #52 Dimitri Uznadze Str., Dr. Alexander Tevzadze, Deputy Minister of Tbilisi, Georgia Education and Science of Georgia 15:00 – 17:00 Meeting with Rectors of Major State Research Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University Universities of Georgia: Address: #1 Chavchavadze ave. Room - Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University #107 Dr. George Sharvashidze, Rector, - Ilia State University Dr. Giga Zedania, Rector, - Georgian Technical University Dr. Archil Prangishvili - Tbilisi State Medical University Dr. Zurab Vadachkoria, Rector, - Sokhumi State University Dr. Zurab Khonelidze, Rector - Akaki Tsereteli State University Dr. George Ghavtadze - Shota Meskhia State Teaching University of Zugdidi Dr. Tea Khupenia - Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University Dr. Natia Tsiklashvili - Samtskhe-Javakheti State University Merab Beridze/Maka Kachkachishvili-Beridze 17:30 – 18:30 Meeting with representatives of MoES, SRNSFG Shota Rustaveli National Science and the delegationn of the European Union to Foundation of Georgia, Georgia: Address: # 1 Aleksidze Street, III floor, Conference Hall Mr. Kakha Khandolishvili, Ms.Natia Gabitashvili, Ms. Manana Mikaberidze, Dr. Nino Gachechiladze, Dr. Ekaterine Kldiashvili, Ms. Mariam Keburia Ms. Nika Kochishvili Wrap-up