(Foreign Policy) Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili's decision to sack the country's minister of defense, Irakli Alasania, has rattled the fragile Georgian Dream political coalition of six parties that has governed since its October 2012 upset victory over the United National Movement (UNM), the party of ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili.
Over the last two years, the Georgian Dream has cultivated the popular image of a democratic and socially responsive successor to Saakashvili's ground-breaking but heavy-handed regime, which catered to the West but failed to combat poverty and unemployment. But the Georgian Dream coalition's benevolent image is now under threat.
The infighting within Georgian Dream should not come as a surprise. The coalition has been an alliance of convenience since it was formed in 2011, united on the basis of a desire to oust the UNM, which had worn out its welcome after nine years of rule. […]
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