From Delegating the Coercion to Non-State Actors to the Idea of “Sovereign Democracy”

Teona Zurabashvili  The legal condition of the peaceful assembly of citizens has been paradoxical in Georgia since 2013. Specifically, the right of peaceful assembly of the various political or social groups is not enforced by the state itself through the usage of legitimate power (Ombudsman.ge 202...
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Political Polarization – a Vicious Circle or a Missed Opportunity for Small Political Parties?

Teona Zurabashvili  It can be assumed that in the local elections of October 2 2021, political polarization was not the main factor that led to consolidation of opposition votes around the UNM, but the political decision of the small parties per se to remain in a domain that was most affected by th...
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Polarization and Fragmentation of Georgian Political Landscape: Implications for Democracy Expert Interview with Dr. Fernando Casal Bértoa

Interview by Teona Zurabashvili, GIP Junior Policy Analyst ‘’Democracy is not a zero-sum game. The opposition also has the right to govern; they also have the right to win… In Georgia, the government should know that opposition is not their enemy or adversary. That’s one of the serious probl...
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Party Identity as the Basis for Splinter Party Electoral Success

Teona Zurabashvili  The experience of splinter parties discussed in the memorandum shows that in order to achieve electoral success, splinter parties should form their independent party identity and synchronise it with their main political objectives. If the goal of forming Giorgi Gakharia’s spli...
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What are the Prospects of the National Anti-Corruption Agency in Georgia?

Working Paper, April 2021 / #14 A draft law on the establishment of the National Anti-Corruption Agency was submitted to the Parliament of Georgia in September 2020. In cooperation with Transparency International Georgia, the bill was drafted by five independent MPs in response to the challenge of p...
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