9 August 2006
CORRUPTION BLOCKING DEMOCRATIC PROGRESS: FREEDOM HOUSE
Entrenched corruption remains a major obstacle to democracy in transitional countries, with Zimbabwe, Azerbaijan, Yemen, Kazakhstan and Bahrain heading the list of the world's most corrupt countries, a new study by Freedom House concludes.
"Countries at the Crossroads 2006" assesses the state of governance in 30 countries in which democratic institutions remain fragile or which are ruled by authoritarian governments.
The study measures four areas of governance: accountability and public voice; civil liberties; rule of law; and anti-corruption and transparency. In almost every country included in the survey, the lowest scores were recorded for corruption and a lack of transparency. The study notes that in countries where corruption is most rampant, there are increased restrictions on press freedom.
Of all the countries surveyed, Zimbabwe was the worst performer. "The primary interest of the Mugabe government is to retain power through a system of patronage that includes access to both state and private assets. The ruling ZANU-PF party owns a wide range of businesses, allowing party elites to profit personally," the study found.
The study also found that countries such as South Africa and Kenya, which rated quite well on accountability and public voice, still posted low scores for corruption.
And in Ukraine, where a peaceful revolution brought hopes for a new era of reform, the challenges of implementation have been daunting. "The exposure of corrupt institutions that followed the Orange Revolution was not accompanied by a change in the structural incentives for politicians and civil servants to blur the line between private and public interests."
Download the report here: http://freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=140&edition=7
Visit these links:
- Freedom House: http://www.freedomhouse.org
- Transparency International: http://www.transparency.org
- UNESCO: http://tinyurl.com/zyx28
- Media, Governance and Development: http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/governance/pdf/press_freedom_day_keynote.pdf
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