A new report has found that half of the countries around the world have been “suffering democratic declines, ranging from flawed elections to curtailed rights, such as freedoms of expression and assembly.”
Global Results
Released by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), the report found that almost half (85) of the 173 countries surveyed “suffered a decline in at least one key indicator of democratic performance in the past five years, based on 17 metrics ranging from civil liberties to judicial independence.”
The past year was the “sixth consecutive year in which countries with net declines outnumbered those with net advances” and “the longest consecutive fall since our records began in 1975,” the report stated.
It elaborated that this deterioration has been “exacerbated by the erosion of formal ‘checks and balances’ — elections, parliaments and courts — that have struggled to uphold the law and hold politicians to account.”
In addition, the ongoing “cost-of-living crisis, climate change and Russia’s war against Ukraine pose huge challenges for elected leaders.”
📢 The bedrocks of #democracy are under threat across the globe, with half of countries suffering democratic declines ranging from flawed elections to curtailed rights, according to @int_IDEA's #GSoD2023 Report #OutNow ➡️ https://t.co/BcpP4efnln pic.twitter.com/3h1A7L07cs
— International IDEA (@Int_IDEA) November 2, 2023
India
In Asia, Afghanistan, Cambodia, India, and the Philippines saw “significant declines in Credible Elections scores” over the last five years, while Malaysia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Thailand saw advances over the same period.
Specifically in India, the Election Commission “has sought to regulate and proscribe hate speech, despite lacking the specific statutory authority to do so.”
Moreover, the Supreme Court of India has “repeatedly intervened,” including via an April 2023 order, which mandates all states and union territories “to register occurrences of hate speech without waiting for a formal complaint to be filed.”
Furthermore, in August, critics and opposition parties argued that “proposed changes to the process of nominating members of the Election Commission risked curtailing its independence.”
In the global rankings for Rights, India dropped three places to 104.
Comments from IDEA
International IDEA Secretary-General Kevin Casas-Zamora noted that “Many countries are struggling now even with basic aspects of democracy.”
However, he added that “while many of our formal institutions like legislatures are weakening, there is hope that these more informal checks and balances, from journalists to election organizers and anti-corruption commissioners, can successfully battle authoritarian and populist trends.”