Youth, Political Parties, and Elections in Georgia

An event held at the National Endowment for Democracy featured a fascinating discussion about the prospects for democracy in the country of Georgia. Here is a good description written up for the event invite:

Following a number of constitutional amendments, Georgia has shifted to a parliamentary system, where the bulk of political power is vested in the parliament and the prime minister. However, the current weakness of political parties poses a major challenge for this transition. For the first time in Georgia’s history, lackluster support for the ruling party’s candidate resulted in the necessity of a second round of a presidential election on November 28.

The recent election has also revealed a worrying development in Georgian politics: the widening gap between political parties and young people. Georgian political parties tend to be vehicles for a particular charismatic personality and tend emerge and disappear within a few years’ time. Georgia’s citizens, particularly youth, are disillusioned with party politics, seeing it as superficial and tainted with corruption.

Politically active youth often refuse to engage with political parties, regarding them with cynicism and distrust; instead, young people show a preference for spontaneous activism and taking to the streets. As Georgia undergoes reforms to complete its transformation into a parliamentary republic, this important gap calls into question whether the Georgian parliament can become a durable and effective institution if parties remain weak.

In her presentation, civil society activist Vera Gogokhia discussed the role of youth in the recent Georgian elections and considered the roots of the current disconnect between political parties and young people, and whether the gap can be bridged. Comments by NED Senior Director for Russia and Eurasia Miriam Lanskoy followed.

Featuring:

Vera Gogokhia
Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow

With comments from:

Miriam Lanskoy
Senior Director for Russia and Eurasia
National Endowment for Democracy

Moderated by:

Sally Blair
Senior Director of Fellowship Programs
National Endowment for Democracy

The video lasts about 90 minutes. Take a look:

Also see our world democracy section!