Perhaps only a fellow member of the former presidents club can - TopicsExpress

Perhaps only a fellow member of the former presidents club can appreciate Mikheil Saakashvilis pain. Georgia s president is leaving power in Tbilisi unpopular and unappreciated, but we think history will be a kinder judge. In 10 years running the Caucasus republic, Mr. Saakashvili made many mistakes but got the big things right. At 36 years of age, the Columbia Law grad led the peaceful and democratic Rose Revolution in 2003. He brought energy and ideas to a small war-ravaged nation struggling to survive under Russia s heavy paw. He fired the traffic police and rooted out a culture of petty corruption. He made it easier to start a business and make an honest buck than in any place within several time zones. Georgia s economy grew 6% on average during his tenure. He said Georgia belonged in NATO and the EU. Democracy means constantly outperforming yourself or you are out on your backside, he told us in 2007. Thats as it should be. As a charismatic leader of a nation with shallow democratic traditions, Mr. Saakashvili could be heavy-handed. He overreacted to antigovernment protests in 2007, shutting down a national television channel. He survived a war with Vladimir Putins Russia in 2008, but the fight probably cost Georgia any chance of reclaiming two breakaway regions. After a decade in power, he wore out his welcome. A billionaire foe, Bidzina Ivanishvili, built the opposition Georgias Dream movement, which routed Mr. Saakashvilis ruling party in last years parliamentary elections. Mr. Ivanishvili has proven to be a sore winner, calling on the president to resign and jailing several of Mr. Saakashvilis allies on corruption charges. Mr. Saakashvili has now served out his second and last constitutionally allowable five-year term. On Sunday Georgians elected a new president who is an Ivanishvili ally. Mikheil Saakashvili will leave office as Georgia s George Washington, having nurtured a transition to democracy in a region where elected leaders too often turn into dictators. Mr. Ivanishvili can start to honor this achievement and keep Georgia as a regional model by dropping his political vendetta.

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