FREEDOM HOUSE: SAFAROV'S GLORIFICATION HALTED THE PEACE TALKS
Mediamax, Armenia
July 16 2013
Yerevan /Mediamax/. The "democracy gap" between Azerbaijan and its
Caucasian neighbors continued to grow in 2012.
Freedom House's "Nations in Transit 2013" report reads this. "Nations
in Transit" is Freedom House's comprehensive, comparative study of
democratic development in 29 countries from Central Europe to Eurasia,
Mediamax reports.
This edition covers the period from January 1 through December 31.
"While neighboring Azerbaijan aggressively stifled political
opposition, Georgia and Armenia conducted parliamentary elections under
new electoral laws that emphasized equal access to campaign resources
and media coverage. Some abuse of administrative resources and
polling-day violations persisted, but overall competitiveness improved,
and both votes yielded more representative legislatures. For the first
time, the Armenian National Congress, which had formerly denounced
all government institutions, won seats in Armenia's National Assembly
and began participating in parliamentary politics", the report notes.
The report reads that the "democracy gap" between Azerbaijan and its
Caucasian neighbors continued to grow in 2012.
"The peaceful and more inclusive elections in Georgia and Armenia
contrasted sharply with the brutal suppression of public gatherings in
the run-up to the Eurovision song contest in Baku, and the introduction
of huge fines for anyone participating in unauthorized rallies in the
country. Meanwhile, investigative reports by foreign media exposed
the enormous personal assets of President Ilham Aliyev's family,
prompting legal amendments that protect the secrecy of corporate
ownership structures and further limit journalists' ability to uncover
corruption", the report reads.
The report also mentions the extradition and Azerbaijan's glorification
of Azerbaijani Ramil Safarov who brutally killed Armenian officer
Gurgen Margaryan in Hungary.
"The government in Baku gave him a hero's welcome and immediately set
him free, thereby halting any progress in Azerbaijan's negotiations
with Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh", the
report notes.
http://www.mediamax.am/en/news/region/7736/
Mediamax, Armenia
July 16 2013
Yerevan /Mediamax/. The "democracy gap" between Azerbaijan and its
Caucasian neighbors continued to grow in 2012.
Freedom House's "Nations in Transit 2013" report reads this. "Nations
in Transit" is Freedom House's comprehensive, comparative study of
democratic development in 29 countries from Central Europe to Eurasia,
Mediamax reports.
This edition covers the period from January 1 through December 31.
"While neighboring Azerbaijan aggressively stifled political
opposition, Georgia and Armenia conducted parliamentary elections under
new electoral laws that emphasized equal access to campaign resources
and media coverage. Some abuse of administrative resources and
polling-day violations persisted, but overall competitiveness improved,
and both votes yielded more representative legislatures. For the first
time, the Armenian National Congress, which had formerly denounced
all government institutions, won seats in Armenia's National Assembly
and began participating in parliamentary politics", the report notes.
The report reads that the "democracy gap" between Azerbaijan and its
Caucasian neighbors continued to grow in 2012.
"The peaceful and more inclusive elections in Georgia and Armenia
contrasted sharply with the brutal suppression of public gatherings in
the run-up to the Eurovision song contest in Baku, and the introduction
of huge fines for anyone participating in unauthorized rallies in the
country. Meanwhile, investigative reports by foreign media exposed
the enormous personal assets of President Ilham Aliyev's family,
prompting legal amendments that protect the secrecy of corporate
ownership structures and further limit journalists' ability to uncover
corruption", the report reads.
The report also mentions the extradition and Azerbaijan's glorification
of Azerbaijani Ramil Safarov who brutally killed Armenian officer
Gurgen Margaryan in Hungary.
"The government in Baku gave him a hero's welcome and immediately set
him free, thereby halting any progress in Azerbaijan's negotiations
with Armenia over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh", the
report notes.
http://www.mediamax.am/en/news/region/7736/