David J. Kramer: Georgia’s Gov't, Citizenry Were Models during the Pandemic

"When it comes to the pandemic, Georgia’s government and citizenry have been models, with fewer than 1,000 registered cases and 14 deaths due to the virus," reads the latest work by David J. Kramer.

The author, an assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor in the George W. Bush administration, is Director of European and Eurasian Studies and Senior Fellow in the Vaclav Havel Program on Human Rights and Diplomacy at Florida International University’s Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs.

The piece is titled 'The Pandemic, Democracy and the United States: Implications for the Black Sea Region,' and it covers the analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on democracy and transatlantic relations, and the Black Sea countries. 

When discussing the COVID-19 impacts and the fight against the pandemic worldwide, the author stresses Georgia's successful steps in this direction.  

"When it comes to the pandemic, Georgia’s government and citizenry have been models, with fewer than 1,000 registered cases and 13 deaths due to the virus. Early action taken by the government and responsiveness on the part of society were especially important given the explosion of cases relatively speaking in neighboring Russia and Armenia. In Russia, there are nearly half a million cases, while in neighboring Armenia, which has just under 3 million people compared to Georgia’s population of 3.7 million, there are close to 14,000 cases and some 217 deaths (as of June 9)," reads the publication. 

However, it is also highlighted that the key question for Georgia is whether the pandemic will affect the schedule for this fall’s parliamentary elections.

"The authorities should be taking steps to ensure that voters will not have to choose between exercising their right to vote or risking getting infected by standing in poll lines. That, of course, is true in the United States as well as in other countries holding elections this year.

"The government must also fulfill its commitment to release all political prisoners – two, Gigi Ugulava and Irakli Okruashvili, were released last month but a third, Giorgi Rurua, remains in jail. The opposition and Georgian Dream need to formalize the new arrangement for electing the parliament, with a proportional system determining four-fifths of the seats. Now that it has a fully confirmed ambassador in place, the United States should join with European allies to make sure that Georgia stays on a democratic path," notes the author. 

"We are only halfway through 2020 and already it seems like an eternity. The second half of the year promises to be no less significant, with the likelihood of a second wave of the pandemic, at least in some places, consequential elections in Georgia and the United States, and democracy facing a major challenge from authoritarianism. The first half of the year has been a painful period. Let’s hope the second half brings with it less damage and promise for the future," he concludes. 

The publication was made possible by the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation, a project of the The German Marshall Fund of the United States. 

Author: David J. Kramer

Read the full piece here