What did you most expect from the Rose Revolution and has it been achieved?
Friday, November 27
“For me as for everyone else what we most expected was that he would fulfil his promise that during his term we would recover our occupied territories. Despite this we have lost more territory. I really trusted him but he took a wrong action which was very undiplomatic. So my expectations have not been fulfilled unfortunately.”
Mzia, economist, 35
“He has tried and some things have been achieved, but the main expectations have not been fulfilled. I am talking about the lost territories. Everyone says this is Saakashvili’s fault, but I do not think so because of course we could not win against cruel Russia and it is a very deplorable fact that many young people died in the August war. We have light now, which was once our dream, we can walk calmly in the streets because there is a very good patrol and the streets are very clean.”
Davit, lawyer, 56
“I think that the people expected things to improve in the country and that the political forces would be strengthened. Some things have been achieved but others must be worked harder at. Most people are now disappointed by Georgian politics and want the situation as a whole to change.”
Nata, student, 25
“My expectations were that the Government would change and make the country better that it was. We have seen a lot of changes but there have also appeared new problems with the new Government. Yet I think the Rose Revolution was necessary at that time.”
Shalva, journalist, 34
“I voted for Saakashvili because his slogan was 'United Georgia'. I am very disillusioned. Georgia has never been as divided as it is now, and I partly blame this on the President.”
Badri, doctor, 46
“I think he has tried his best to make his promises come true, but some of them were so unrealistic that of course he could not fulfill them. For example, he was saying that during his first term Georgia would join NATO, but I guess it will take us much longer.”
Zura, lawyer, 27
“I can’t say that nothing has improved since the Revolution, but I would like to see more rapid development. The war made everything so complicated; I guess the main failure of Saakashvili has been not avoiding the war with Russia.”
Shota, engineer, 57
Mzia, economist, 35
“He has tried and some things have been achieved, but the main expectations have not been fulfilled. I am talking about the lost territories. Everyone says this is Saakashvili’s fault, but I do not think so because of course we could not win against cruel Russia and it is a very deplorable fact that many young people died in the August war. We have light now, which was once our dream, we can walk calmly in the streets because there is a very good patrol and the streets are very clean.”
Davit, lawyer, 56
“I think that the people expected things to improve in the country and that the political forces would be strengthened. Some things have been achieved but others must be worked harder at. Most people are now disappointed by Georgian politics and want the situation as a whole to change.”
Nata, student, 25
“My expectations were that the Government would change and make the country better that it was. We have seen a lot of changes but there have also appeared new problems with the new Government. Yet I think the Rose Revolution was necessary at that time.”
Shalva, journalist, 34
“I voted for Saakashvili because his slogan was 'United Georgia'. I am very disillusioned. Georgia has never been as divided as it is now, and I partly blame this on the President.”
Badri, doctor, 46
“I think he has tried his best to make his promises come true, but some of them were so unrealistic that of course he could not fulfill them. For example, he was saying that during his first term Georgia would join NATO, but I guess it will take us much longer.”
Zura, lawyer, 27
“I can’t say that nothing has improved since the Revolution, but I would like to see more rapid development. The war made everything so complicated; I guess the main failure of Saakashvili has been not avoiding the war with Russia.”
Shota, engineer, 57