The index groups governments into four categories: full democracies, flawed democracies, hybrid regimes, and authoritarian regimes. Iraq is at the bottom of the "hybrid regimes" group. When scored by region, the Middle East & North Africa region scores the lowest in the world, with an average score of 3.43, and that average includes Israel's score of 7.48!
"The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) remains the most repressive region in the world—16 out of 20 countries in the region are categorised as authoritarian. There are only four exceptions: Israel is the only democracy in the region, albeit a flawed democracy; and there are three hybrid regimes (Iraq, Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories).
Almost all governments in the region continue to restrict political freedoms. All the Gulf states except Bahrain, for instance, ban political organisations. There have been some political reforms in the region in recent years, including the establishment of representative assemblies in Oman, Qatar and the UAE, and the return of an elected parliament in Bahrain. But these reforms have certainly not changed fundamentally the political system in these states, in which the executive branch still dominates and is unaccountable."
Only 12.3% of the world's population live in full democracies and democracy is in decline overall in the world.
Thanks Hayder for posting the link on fb.
5 comments :
Iraq is one of the top ranking dictatorships in executions, in the world
lol iraq is a "democaracy" now, thanks to Mister Boooosh
just dont get caught in the street belonging to the wrong sect and everything is all good
Compared to most Arab countries, Iraq is a democracy.
“If we think there is a fast solution to changing the governance of Iraq, then we don’t understand history, the nature of the country, the divisions, or the underneath suppressed passions that could rise up. God help us if we think this transition will occur easily. The attempts I’ve seen to install democracy in short periods of time where there is no history and no roots have failed."
--Marine General Anthony Zinni (retired) Head of U.S. Central Command from 1997 to 2000, 10 October 2002
'The ideals of elections, representation of the people, expression of the national will, and a rule of law are invoked over and over again by the most prominent Shiite religious leaders. Unlike Khomeini in 1979, they are completely unafraid of the term "democracy" and generally see no contradiction between it and Islam."
--Juan Cole
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