EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight - Report Highlights a Democratization Decline in the South Caucasus

EURASIA INSIGHT

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS A DEMOCRATIZATION DECLINE IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS
Deidre Tynan 6/30/08

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.

The Central Eurasia Project aims, through its website, meetings, papers, and grants, to foster a more informed debate about the social, political and economic developments of the Caucasus and Central Asia. It is a program of the Open Society Institute-New York. The Open Society Institute-New York is a private operating and grantmaking foundation that promotes the development of open societies around the world by supporting educational, social, and legal reform, and by encouraging alternative approaches to complex and controversial issues.

The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the position of the Open Society Institute and are the sole responsibility of the author or authors.