It’s also a little disingenuous to call Russia and Pakistan democratic. Democracy is not just an election and transfer of power. By this logic we would have to call Iran democratic.

Democracy requires at least the following: a free and robust news media (Russia ranks 153rd and Pakistan 159th in press freedom according to Reporters Without Borders); a system of checks on executive powers (which Russia certainly does not have and Pakistan has wrestled with vis-a-vis control over the Supreme Court); and a judiciary insulated from extortion, bribery, and prebendalism — which is certainly not present in either country.

There’s a reason Freedom House ranks both countries as beeing “Not Free” and that they’re not included in the list of “electoral democracies.” Your exception to the rule is invalid, only further strengthening claim to the rule.

This might be because an overwhelming majority of the country — the figure that shows up again and again in NGO polls is something around 90% — support Saakashvili. Why would he need to get dirty?

Unless by “Georgia” you’re referring to the two breakaway states, of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, there’s very limited evidence to suggest corruption in Georgia. Those who mention it refer to the Rose Revolution as a CIA plot.