Adriana
 Skorupska
Polish
 Institute
 of
 International
 Affairs

Georgia, 2013

An
 effective
 decentralisation
 of
 power
 is
 a
 crucial
 factor
 if
 the
 state
 wants
 to
 have
 a successful
 democratization.
 On
 June
 15,
 Georgians
 went
 to
 the
 polls
 to
 elect
 their
 local‐ government
 representatives
 on
 new
 rules.
 Although 
local
 self‐government 
reform 
has
 not
 yet addressed
 the
 crucial
issue
 of
 a 
financial 
system 
for 
local
 authorities,
 it 
is 
a
 step 
in
 the
 right direction
 and
 Georgia
 is
 becoming
 a
 leader
 in
 the
 decentralization
 process
 among
 the
 Eastern
 Partnership 
Countries.

First
 step 
in
 the
 decentralization
 process.
 In 
autumn
 2012,
 one
 of
 Georgian
 Dream
 (GD)’s
 campaign
 issues
 was
 building
 local
 democracy.
 Support
 for
 local
 government
 reform
 was
 achieved 
both
 from 
within,
 on
 the 
part 
of
 Georgian
 NGOs,
 and 
through 
externa l
donors.
 In
 March
 2013,
 a
 government
 decree
 stating
 the
 main
 objectives
 of
 
 the
 reform
 was
 announced.
 The
 democratisation
 of
 the
 system
 of
 public
 management
 and
 greater
 participation 
of 

local
 communities 
in
 public 
life
 were 
indicated 
as 
the 
primary
 objectives
 of
 the
 planned
 changes.
 The
 legislative
 changes
 introduced
 in
 recent
 months
 began
 the
 first
 phase
 of
 reform,
 which 
in 
the
 long
run 
aims 
to 
decentralise 
the 
Georgian 
political 
system.

In
 February,
 parliament
 adopted
 a
 law
 on
 the
 reform
 of
 local
 government,
 and
 then
 in
 March 
new
 regulations
 were
 passed,
concerning 
the 
electoral
 system 
(electoral
 thresholds,
 the
 number
 of
 members
 of
 local
 councils,
 mayors,
 and
 dismissal
 procedures
 for
 removing
 mayors).
 At
 the
 current
 stage,
 the
 reform
 expands
 the
 number
 of
 cities
 with
 the
 status
 of
 local
 government,
 where
 residents elect 
the 
mayor 
directly, to 
12. 
Previously,
 only
residents
 of
 Tbilisi
 had
 the
 opportunity
 to
 elect
 the
 mayor
 of
 the
 city
 directly.
 Moreover,
 now
 the
 Georgians 
could 
choose,
 in 
addition 
to 
the 
members
 of 
local
 councils 
(as 
it
 was
 before)
 the
 chairpersons
 of 
59
 municipalities
 (outside
 the
 12 
major
 cities).
 This 
phase 
of
 reforms
focused
 on
 preparation 
to 
carry
 out
 the 
local
 elections
 in
 accordance
 with 
the 
new 
regulations, 
but 
did
 not 
consider 
delegation 
of 
duties 
and 
financial 
powers 
to
 the
 local
 government.
 These
 are
 essential
 elements
 of
 the
 system
 leading
 to
 real
 decentralisation.
 These
 regulations 
are
 to 
be 
introduced
 by
 the 
end
of
 this
 year,
 as 
part
 of
 another 
block
 of
 changes
 regulating
 duties 
and
 powers
 of
 local 
governments.
Continuation
 of
 the
 
 decentralisation
 policies
 will
 be
 a
 test
 of
 GD’s
 genuine 
reformist
 intentions. 
In
 the
 coalition,
 there
 are 
both 
supporters
 of 
the
 far‐reaching 
decentralisation 
of 
the
s tate, 
as
 well
 as
 more
conservative
 politicians,
 wary
 of 
too 
radical
 reforms.

Next 
steps. The
 changes
 were
 made
 possible
 thanks 
to 
the
 political
 will
 of
 the
 current
 ruling
 coalition.
 Now,
 however,
 it
 is
 important
 that
 this
 is
 supported
 by
 a
 good
 conceptual
 and
 organisational
 preparation
 of
 the
 next
 stage
 of
 reform.
 Failure
 to
 change
 regulations
 in
 matters
 of
 the
 competences
 and
 finances
 of
 local
 government
 may
 result
 in
 a
 loss
 of
 support,
 both
 from
 the
 public,
 and
 from
 external
 donors.
 The
 existing
 assistance
 of
 international
 institutions
 and
 experts
 from
 other
 countries
 was
 too
 dispersed.
 Better
 coordinated
 external
 expert
 help
 will
 facilitate
 work
 on
 new
 regulations
 and
 their
 implementation.
 In
 subsequent
 actions,
 more
 importance
 should
 be
 attached
 to
 the
 public
 debate.
 On
 the
 one
hand,
 local
 communities should
 be
 encouraged
 to
 discuss
 new
 solutions,
 while 
on
 the
 other,
 the
 idea
 of
 self‐government
 must
 also
 be promoted.
 Communities
 of
 post‐Soviet
 countries
 are
 accustomed
 to
 centralism,
 and
 people
 believe
 that
 the
 only effective
 and
 decisive
 vote
 could
 come 
from 
the 
state
capital.
 The 
government
 could
 become 
the
 initiator
 and coordinator
 of
 the
 campaign,
 with
 the
 aim
 of
 convincing
 society
 that
 decentralisation
 does
 not
 mean 
separatism,
 but 
is a
 way
 to 
increase
 the 
efficiency 
of
 public
 services
 provided
 by
 local
 authorities.
 A
 well‐functioning
 local 
government
 is also
 one 
of
 the
conditions
 for
 the
 development
 of
 entrepreneurship
 in
 the
 country.
 NGOs
 and
 local
 public
 opinion leaders
 should
 be
 invited
 to
 promote
 the
 idea
 of
 local
 government.
 In
 addition
 to
 meetings
 and
 lectures,
 both
 very important
 in
 promotional
 activities,
 the
 public
 media,
 especially
 television,
 should
 be 
engaged.