thus while he was in power, civil society organizations were somewhat weaker than during his rise and decline39.
VVThe general public came to understand the extent of corruption when the Rector of the Tbilisi State University was dismissed, accused of facilitating corruption and siphoning off resources intended for the university. The citizens of Georgia:
This was a powerful sentiment, and constituted one of the major landmarks of the paradigm shift that we see in Georgian society. The civil society emphasis is important when considering why the sentiment and values of the Rose Revolution integrated so well into Georgian society. Jesse Tatum draws attention to the three-layer process of democratization that Georgia experienced41:
Georgia appears to currently be situated somewhere between the second
88839. Interview with the Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development; Tbilisi, February 2014
88840. Orkodashvili 2010, p.368
88841. Tatum 2009, p.161
190
“…came to further understand that the country’s scarce resources could be allocated to better purposes than on bribery and its resulting contribution to the “second income” of corrupt individuals… the media widely highlighted the case. [The Rector]’s dismissal became a turning point in the fight against corruption, more succinctly delivering the message that times had changed and that under the ongoing reforms, no one would be immune from prosecution for illegal action, corruption, or abuse of power”40
1) The phase of “transition”, whereby a new regime replaces the old and seems to build authority and legitimacy
2) The “consolidation” phase, where the values and procedures of democracy become socio-politically embedded and replace the norms of the former regime
3) The “transformation” stage, which is the point when the regime is considered to be an established, fully-functioning democracy