Political Opposition Tactics in Post-Rose Revolution Georgia (Research Brief)

What impact does the peaceful overthrow of an authoritarian or semi-authoritarian regime have on political stability and democratic development? Using Georgia as a case study, this project examines the impact of the “electoral revolution” model, employed in the 2003 Rose Revolution, on opposition party tactics. The resignation of President Eduard Shevardnadze in 2003 following large-scale peaceful demonstrations, combined with the subsequent reduction of venues for legitimate political participation under Shevardnadze’s successor, resulted in the privileging of elements of the “electoral revolution” model as opposition political tactics. This brief analyzes the ongoing impact of the model in the post-revolutionary context and its possible influence in the 2012 Georgian parliamentary elections.

Robyn Angley, of Harvard University, was a 2012-2013 Short-Term Travel Grants (STG) fellow.