Nikoghosyan: FH Downgrades Karabagh Democracy

The new annual report by Freedom House (FH) analyzing the democratic trends of 2011 reveals that the region of the former Soviet Union, with the exception of the Baltic states, is moving towards authoritarian governance. According to FH, since 2001, the region as a whole has experienced continuous decline in political rights and civil liberties. However, FH’s estimates show that global freedom itself has declined for the fifth consecutive year in 2010.

With most results more or less predictable, I am only surprised to see the rating on the Nagorno Karabagh Republic (NKR). For the first time ever, NKR is now listed in the “not free” group, together with its former metropolis—Azerbaijan. In my opinion, there is a mixture of causes behind this outcome. But before mentioning this, I urge readers to pay attention to the report by the Independent American-Dutch Monitoring Delegation, published after the observation mission on the Karabagh Parliamentary elections of May 2010. It is important to highlight the position of the only American observation mission in order to understand where the FH got its negative feedback about Karabagh. The report reads that the elections were held in a “free, fair, and transparent” manner, in line with national legislation and the international standards of democracy. “Nagorno Karabakh continues to make strong progress in establishing and sustaining a healthy and sustainable democracy,” the report continues. So, if FH put together all the reports coming from the field, the NKR’s rating would not have declined—just the opposite.