Reporter's Notebook Comments

• I couldn't agree more with the reporter's assessments. This is a very balanced analysis of the political reforms under Saakashvili, highlighting the president's major achievements and failures. I especially concur with the reporter's critique that "the government is reforming haphazardly without developing institutions that will last beyond Saakshvili's tenure." Whereas Armenia experiences slow reforms that might last, Georgia faces a rapid reform process that might not be sustainable. The concentration of executive power under Saakashvili has been tremendous and institutions of horizontal accountability remain weak. The fight against (low-level) corruption is a hallmark of Saakashvili's government – government integrity is not.
  
  
• Very well put together and I completely agree with the tone on matters of corruption. As the author states, people worry about the way in which current reforms will affect the balance of democracy in the long-run and there is still (largely unsubstantiated) speculation about corruption in high level government, but police and tax reforms really have been effective.
  
  On broader issues relating to the rule of law I am not so sure. People in the media here continually say that there was more public debate under Shevardnadze. Also, selective prosecutions of tax-evaders, harassment of political opponents, and an overly heavy handed use of the police against street protestors, prison rioters or even the media and politicians, continue to leave concerns about the way in which this democratisation will proceed in the future.
  
  
• While the author, in my opinion, did not manage to provide much of a "human face" to corruption or reveal the "mood of the people affected by corruption," he/ accurately reported a fact-filled, nutshell account of the current state of affairs in Georgia. The individuals interviewed are leading figures in the NGO sector who always provide accurate analysis and well-founded critique. Local and international journalists depend on their views.
  
  The Saakashvili government has made great strides at eliminating corruption at a particular level of society, yet corruption at a higher level continues to exist. If I understand the "Notebook" instructions clearly, then I think the author missed the target a bit, as little attention in the three pages was given to persisting corruption and its effects on society.
  
  On the other hand, the reader has been exposed to a very well-reported article on the Georgian government's efforts at corruption reform since the Rose Revolution, and the complexities of the existing problems.