Georgia

October 2005 | Risk Summary

The government has won overwhelming support in the recent by-elections, increasing optimism that it will be successful in the 2006 parliamentary elections. President Mikheil Saakashvili is interpreting the results as an endorsement of his administration's policy direction, though it might also be a reflection on the government's superior access to resources during the campaign. These developments are encouraging for a government under pressure to deliver on the early promise after coming to power in the 2003 'rose revolution'. However, they also highlight the weak state of the opposition, which can undermine the effectiveness of a truly democratic political system.

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