REPORT HIGHLIGHTS A DEMOCRATIZATION DECLINE IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS
Deidre Tynan
EurasiaNet
June 30 2008
NY
States in the South Caucasus are following a trend in the former
Soviet Union, under which abundant energy wealth is helping to grease
the wheels of a decline in democratic values, according to an annual
report prepared by the democratization watchdog group Freedom House.
The report, Nations in Transit 2008, establishes benchmarks for
democratization progress, with ratings based on a scale of 1 to 7,
with 1 representing the highest level of democratic progress and 7 the
lowest. As with the five states of Central Asia, Freedom House found
that authoritarian practices are making headway in the Caucasus. [For
background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
According to the report, Azerbaijan exemplifies a brasher approach
to governance. In an interview with EurasiaNet, Christopher Walker,
Director of Studies at Freedom House, said Azerbaijan’s energy-driven
boom had emboldened the political elite in Baku in a new way. "I think
the experience has been that these countries feel liberated from not
only international pressure to reform, but from domestic pressure to
reform. That’s one of the byproducts of this ‘paradox of plenty,’"
Walker said.
There were no elections in Azerbaijan in 2007, and no progress in
efforts to increase the participation of the opposition parties in
the electoral process either, the report stated. "The lack of any
significant changes on the legislative or policy environment leaves
Azerbaijan’s rating for electoral process unchanged at 6.50."
Azerbaijan’s rating for independent media also stagnated at 6.25 with
journalists facing harassment, arrest, fines and imprisonment. The
report added; "local governance in Azerbaijan is not democratic, as
the government continues its practice of directly appointing local
administrators." The country’s score in this category remains 6,
as does the country’s overall democracy score.
Azerbaijan made efforts towards creating a more transparent society
in 2007 but the report says more time is needed to determine if
the government’s initiatives are setting a "long-term trend that is
sustainable independent of international pressure." Political control
of anti-corruption investigations remains tight. The country’s rating
for corruption was 6.25.
The rating for judicial framework and independence remained at
5.75. Judges continue to enforce trial processes that violate civil
and political liberties and in turn, the government holds "substantial
authority" over the judiciary.
Armenia, with an overall score of 5.21, saw its rating for electoral
process for 2007 slightly improve, but it saw stagnation or decline
in every other category. The score for electoral process rose to 5.50
on the back of improved parliamentary elections in May 2007 although
there were still "significant shortcomings."
According to the report, changes to the electoral code allowed for
a fairer electoral process. "However, some parties exploited unclear
legislation related to campaign financing to their advantage, and the
counting and tabulation of votes remained problematic," it said. The
violence associated with Armenia’s 2008 presidential election will be
taken into account in Freedom House’s 2009 findings. [For background
see the Eurasia Insight archive]
Cronyism and rampant corruption hamper democratic reforms in Armenia
the report said. The President’s grip on power is still steadfast while
a series of new laws for improved governance wait to come into effect,
the report says. Armenia did not take "concrete steps toward a more
accountable political system and more even distribution of the balance
of power." Armenia’s rating for national democratic governance stays
at 5.25, its rating for judicial framework and independence declined
slightly from 5.00 to 5.25.
Georgia’s democratic credentials took a significant beating in 2007
exposing weaknesses in its institutions, report says. Its democracy
score fell from 4.68 to 4.79. President Mikhail Saakashvili’s handling
of widespread popular discontent last year is roundly criticized
and as a result, Georgia’s electoral process, independent media and
national democratic governance ratings all fell. [For background see
the Eurasia Insight archive].
Opposition protests followed by a state of emergency in November
and ongoing territorial disputes reveal Georgia’s inherit
instability. "Reflecting the political crisis caused by mass rallies
and the resulting setback to Georgia’s unbalanced system of governance,
the rating for national democratic governance is downgraded from
5.50 to 5.75," the Freedom House report stated. The nine-day state
of emergency and the temporary closure of Imedi TV were also serious
setback. The rating for independent media in Georgia falls from 4
to 4.25.