In his address to the Georgian parliament this summer, Joe Biden pointed to fundamental flaws within the Georgian political system and called for action to be taken.

"The Rose Revolution will only be complete when... issues are debated inside this chamber, not only out on the street; when you fully address key constitutional issues regarding the balance of power between the parliament and executive branch and levelling your electoral playing field; when the media is totally independent and professional... when the courts are free from outside influence and rule of law is firmly established and when the transfer of power occurs through peaceful, constitutional and democratic processes..."

Vice President Joe Biden, Tbilisi, July 23 2009

In a speech to Parliament before Biden's arrival and in a number of other keynote addresses throughout the last several years President Saakashvili promised to address these very concerns, and vowed a new wave of democratisation. This New Wave promised changes in the structure of government, the inclusion of the opposition, and changes in the electoral system, the media and the judiciary. This report seeks to analyse whether those promised changes are being realized and to what extent they will impact the Georgian political and social landscape.