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| 20:39:33 | 16-06-2005 | Politics |
FREEDOM HOUSE STUDY:NATIONS IN TRANSIT 2005
STUDY: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEMOCRACY IN FORMER SOVIET COUNTRIES
New Freedom House Study Warns of Obstacles From Authoritarian Regimes
Recent developments in Ukraine, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan have altered
assumptions about democracy’s prospects in the former Soviet Union,
raising questions about what a new democratic spring means for
countries from Central Europe to Eurasia, according to a major study
released today by Freedom House.
The study, Nations in Transit 2005, presented today at a briefing in
Brussels, suggests that the Rose Revolution in Georgia in 2003 and the
Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004, as well as more recent events
in Kyrgyzstan, may have opened a new wave of democratic expansion
in the post-Soviet environment. The study warns, however, that the
failure of leaders throughout the region to uphold commitments to
democracy and to preserve their own citizens’ meaningful voice in
governance is a political dead end.
“The findings of this year’s Nations in Transit study make clear that
citizens in the former Soviet countries have what it takes to make
their countries democratic,” said Freedom House executive director
Jennifer Windsor. “In particular, Ukraine’s extraordinary return to
the democratic path in 2004 confirmed the potential for the peaceful
spread of liberal democracy and free markets to former Soviet countries
still suffering under corrupt and authoritarian regimes,” she said.
Based on the study, which tracks the movement of countries toward or
away from democracy, Freedom House urges Western leaders concerned with
encouraging democratic practices and good governance in the region to:
~U Assist countries in consolidating important democratic gains. For
example, ensure that additional U.S. foreign assistance is delivered
to Georgia, which has been selected for enhanced support under the
Millennium Challenge Account.
~U Engage and provide incentives to countries, such as Moldova,
whose leaders have communicated a desire for greater integration with
Western democracies.
~U Consider new strategies to deal with consolidated authoritarian
regimes such as in Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Uzbekistan.
~U Address countries that are backsliding. Press President Vladimir
Putin to make good on pledges to advance democracy in Russia and
address democratic deterioration in Armenia.
~U Promote nonviolent approaches to change and provide clear and
effective responses to violence when it does occur.
“With the stakes so high, the transatlantic community must renew
efforts to support good governance, independent media, civil society,
the rule of law, and free and fair elections in the former Soviet
states,” said Nations in Transit editor Jeannette Goehring. “The
community also must devise new strategies to deal with governments
that are increasingly consolidating authoritarian rule and give
assistance to countries that previously may have been overlooked.”
Russia warrants special attention. “The fate of Russian democracy
has enormous implications, both for the former Soviet region and
globally,” said Ms. Windsor. “The fact that democracy has failed in
so many countries of the former Soviet Union is due in part to the
increasingly authoritarian Russian example. The U.S. and Europe should
press Moscow to play a constructive role in supporting democratic
practice both at home and abroad.”
Freedom House found that the eight new European Union members
from Central and Eastern Europe held their position as the
highest ranking countries in the study. These countries-Czech
Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia,
and Slovenia-continued to show the strongest overall performance in
the key areas of democratization tracked: electoral process; civil
society; independent media; governance; corruption; and judicial
framework and independence. However, Nations in Transit also points
to the need of all these countries to tackle widespread corruption.
The Balkan countries showed signs of increased stability in
2004, yet still confronted substantial challenges to democratic
consolidation. Bulgaria and Romania both joined NATO in 2004 and
remained on the road to joining the European Union in 2007. At the
same time, analysis of both countries makes clear that attention is
still needed in areas such as advancing judicial reform, fighting
corruption, and increasing media independence.
The Western Balkan countries of Albania, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Macedonia, and Serbia-Montenegro (including Kosovo) face the most
substantial challenges of democratic consolidation in the Balkans. At
the Brussels briefing, Jasna Jelisic, an advisor to the Nations in
Transit study and a journalist with the Sarajevo-based weekly news
magazine Dani, noted that these countries are “only halfway down
the road to joining the European community of democratic nations and
building prosperous, open societies.”
“Although much remains to be done, the events of 2004 demonstrated that
the European integration process is having a major positive impact
on democratic consolidation and stability in the Western Balkans and
is giving hope to people for the future,” Ms. Jelisic said.
Zamira Eshanova, another advisor to the study and regional
expert on Central Asia for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, said:
“The turmoil from power successions-those that have occurred and
those that are anticipated, though nobody knows when-is having an
increasingly destabilizing effect on Central Asia. The question
is: What institutions are in place and how will relative levels of
democratic strength and weakness play out in post turmoil regimes?”
NATIONS IN TRANSIT 2004: THE RATINGS
Produced annually, the Nations in Transit study provides comprehensive
analysis of transitions in 27 post-Communist countries (plus Kosovo) by
tracking progress and setbacks in electoral processes; civil society;
independent media; governance; corruption; and judicial framework and
independence. It also provides a unique set of comparative ratings
based on a scale of 1 to 7, with 1 representing the highest level of
democratic development and 7 the lowest. Nations in Transit 2005 is
an updated edition of surveys published in 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001,
2000, 1998, 1997, and 1995. The 2005 study covers the period from
January 1 through December 31, 2004, and includes for the first time
separate analysis and ratings of national democratic governance and
local democratic governance.
Largest Improvements in Ukraine and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Both Ukraine and Bosnia-Herzegovina experienced ratings improvements
in 4 out of 7 Nations in Transit categories-the highest number in the
study. Ukraine’s ratings improvements were more substantial owing to
the extraordinary challenges the country overcame in late 2004 and the
success of pro-democracy supporters in reinvigorating and jumpstarting
democratic political development in the country. Ukraine’s ratings
improved significantly in the categories of electoral process, civil
society, independent media, and judicial framework and independence. As
in previous years, Bosnia continued slow but steady democratic progress
and received modest ratings advances in the categories of electoral
process, independent media, judicial framework and independence,
and corruption.
Largest Declines in Russia and Azerbaijan, Deterioration in Armenia.
Russia and Azerbaijan both experienced ratings declines in 4 out of 7
Nations in Transit categories-the greatest number in the study-owing
to the consolidation of authority by presidents in both countries. In
Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev’s efforts led to declining ratings
for electoral process, civil society, independent media, and judicial
framework and independence. Russia’s more substantial declines occurred
in the categories of electoral process, civil society, independent
media, and judicial framework and independence. Russia’s performance
in 2004 stands in stark contrast to the positive changes noted in
neighboring Ukraine. Over the last two years, Armenia has shown a
less dramatic but still disturbing decline in the areas of electoral
process, independent media, and judicial framework and independence.
Electoral process.
(+) Nine countries or territories experienced ratings improvements
for electoral process: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Georgia, Kosovo,
Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovakia, and Ukraine.
(-) Five countries or territories experienced declines in electoral
process: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Poland, Russia, and Tajikistan.
Civil society.
(+) Eight countries or territories showed gains for civil society:
Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Latvia, Montenegro, Romania, Tajikistan,
and Ukraine.
(-) Three countries or territories experienced setbacks for civil
society: Azerbaijan, Russia, and Slovenia.
Independent media.
(+) Seven countries or territories experienced improvements for
independent media: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Kyrgyzstan,
Poland, Serbia, Slovenia, and Ukraine.
(-) Eight countries or territories showed declines in independent
media: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Hungary, Romania,
Russia, and Tajikistan.
New Governance Ratings
~U Eight countries or territories showed better national democratic
governance than local democratic governance: Armenia, Croatia, Estonia,
Georgia, Hungary, Latvia, Slovakia, and Ukraine.
~U Thirteen countries or territories showed better local democratic
governance than national democratic governance: Albania, Belarus,
Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro, Poland,
Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
~U Eight countries or territories received the same ratings for
national and local democratic governance: Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Bulgaria,
Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Russia, and Turkmenistan.
Judicial Framework and Independence.
(+) Nine countries or territories had ratings improvements in this
category: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Estonia, Kosovo, Latvia, Macedonia,
Romania, Slovenia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan..
(-) Seven countries experienced setbacks in their ratings for this
category: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Poland,
and Russia.
Corruption.
(+) Five countries showed improvements in their ratings for corruption:
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, and Slovakia.
(-) Four countries showed regression in their ratings for corruption:
Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, and Turkmenistan.