DEMOCRACY SCORE OF ARMENIA WORSENS

Today Freedom House released the Nations in Trasit reports. The report on Armenia holds that very little progress was made on redistributing power amongst government branches.

Rather, consolidation of political power in the ruling party and elites paved the way for a continued grip on political and economic power during 2007 parliamentary elections. Close links between the country’s political and business elites have impeded the development of transparent, democratic state institutions. Flawed elections have contributed to public cynicism toward the authorities and skepticism about the value of participating in political and civic activities. The lack of confidence in the parliament is also noted.
  Media organizations lobbied, partly successfully, for changes to Armenia’s licensing legislation for distribution companies and against government proposals relating to the structure of a new regulatory body for the broadcast media. An increase in attacks on journalists in 2006, including physical assaults, heightened concerns about a rise in violence and, more generally, government harassment against the independent media in the run-up to the 2007 parliamentary elections, the report of Freedom House holds.
  On the whole, the democracy score worsens from
5.14 to 5.21.
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