New Delhi: An alarming number of countries enjoying democratic rights under their democratic ruling, is fast sliding towards authoritarianism, warned the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) on Monday.
Populist politics, the use of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions to silence critics, a tendency of countries to mimic the anti-democratic behavior of others, and disinformation used to divide societies are mainly to blame, the Stockholm-based intergovernmental organization said in a report.
“More countries than ever are suffering from ‘democratic erosion’, IDEA said in its 2021 study on the state of democracy, relying on data compiled since 1975.
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“The number of countries undergoing ‘democratic backsliding’ has never been as high,” it said, referring to the regressive turn in areas including checks on government and judicial independence, as well as media freedom and human rights.
Afghanistan, which was taken over by Taliban militants in August after international troops withdrew, is the most dramatic case this year, while Myanmar’s Feb 1 coup marked the collapse of a fragile democracy.
Other examples include Mali, which has suffered two coups since 2020, and Tunisia, where the president has dissolved parliament and assumed emergency powers.
Large democracies such as Brazil and the United States have seen presidents question the validity of election results, while India has witnessed the prosecution of groups of people critical of government policies.
In India, the diabolical nature of government's policies has seen a curtailment of democratic rights. From suppression of voices to putting people behind bars critical of the establishment, India has witnessed multitudes during the Covid-19 pandemic, and before that, whoever tried to oppose or raise their voice against the government.
The International agencies report on the World's deteriorating "Democratic" ruling shows a sign of a rise in "authoritarianism" in the garb of "Indebted Democracy".
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