Source: Worldview

In the wake of the recent parliamentary elections, Carnegie’s Thomas de Waal sat down with WBEZ's Worldview to discuss the short history of Georgia, President Saakashvili's legacy, and the factors behind his party's legislative defeat.

Topics discussed include:

• A Post-Soviet Republic: The Rose Revolution brought Saakashvili to the presidency, where he enacted a number of reforms. But his legacy as a modernizer was not enough to overcome voter frustration with the country’s civil rights shortcomings, de Waal explained.
   
• High Stakes: The victorious faction will name the new prime minister, a position that will gain a great deal of power once Saakashvili's presidential term ends in 2013, de Waal said. He added that the opposition's success has dealt another blow to the outgoing majority's legitimacy.
   
• International Attention: Georgia has been the focus of a great deal of international attention, both positive, like the U.S. interest in promoting the country as a model developing democracy, and negative, like the country’s brief war with Russia, de Waal said.
   
• The Future of the United National Movement (UNM): The UNM could become a vocal opposition, since the party remains very well organized in comparison with the Georgian Dream coalition, de Waal suggested.
   
• The Leader of the Opposition: Bidzina Ivanishvili, the leader of the Georgian Dream coalition, remains an enigma despite his recent transformation from reclusive businessman to mainstream politician, de Waal said. His considerable fortune is subject to some controversy, as is his citizenship, although the Saakashvili government's attempt to strip his Georgian citizenship now appears to have been a strategic mistake.
   
• This Election's Legacy: If there is international pressure to respect the ballot, this could be a positive step toward harmony in Georgia, de Waal said. A peaceful transfer of power would give the electorate confidence that its opinion is respected and matters, he concluded.