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kiwi
Sweden
661 Posts |
 Posted - 24 Nov 2006 : 19:33:37
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says "The World in 2007" commenting a new democracy index devised by the Economist Intelligence Unit looking at 60 indicators across five categories: free elections, civil liberties, functioning goverment, political participation and political culture.
Only 28 countries are categorised as full democracies (which is 13% of world population), 54 as flawed democracies, 30 as hybrid regimes and 55 as authoritarian regimes.
18 of the full democracy countries are European countries but one among them are from Africa, namely Mauritius and also two from Latin America and Caribbean, Costa Rica and Uruguay.
Interesting to note is that Italy is not categorised as full democracy but is placed in group flawed democracies, close to Estonia and India.
Gambia is no 108 in democracy index and classified as hybrid regime, among 12 other sub-Saharan African countries. This group also includes Russia, far from that democracy as president Putin would like us to believe.
The last group, authoritarian regimes, includes 23 sub-Saharan African countries.
Du you think that Gambia is rightfully placed in her group?
The article:
http://www.economist.com/theworldin/international/displayStory.cfm?story_id=8166790&d=2007
List of countries:
http://www.economist.com/media/pdf/DEMOCRACY_TABLE_2007_v3.pdf
Do read about the methology and find tabels:
http://www.economist.com/media/pdf/DEMOCRACY_INDEX_2007_v3.pdf
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kiwi |
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Momodou
Denmark
11644 Posts |
Posted - 28 Nov 2006 : 17:57:13
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Kiwi, thanks for this information. Its not a surprise to see the Scandinavian countries at the top.
Gambias positioning in the index is not bad but I think she should have been under the category of authoritarian regimes. Its interesting to read the 2007 watchlist, so lets see if the report holds some water in the coming year. |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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serenata
Germany
1400 Posts |
Posted - 28 Nov 2006 : 18:37:26
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| Why don't they place USA in the 'flawed democracy'-group? Anyway, no. 17 is not too glorious for the self-appointed no. 1 in freedom and democracy... |
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Cornelius
Sweden
1051 Posts |
Posted - 28 Nov 2006 : 21:20:18
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A Sierra Leone-oriented comment- it's election time next year and time for politicians to be making their vote-rigging promises:
The International Community has not failed Sierra Leone the last few years of the war or after the war was fully ended in 2002 and has been generous and has pumped in massive aid in the way of money and other forms of material support- large sums of which ( according to the auditor-general’s report a few years ago) has disappeared and up till now, remains unaccounted for.
The visit of His Royal Highness Prince Charles the Prince of Wales, God willing , the future King of Britain, seems to accentuate the appalling state of Sierra Leone’s standard of living life and although it’s good to always pray to the Almighty, it is not customary or appropriate protocol to immediately start begging our more affluent visitors - or to pester them with such requests of aid soon after their arrival and one can’t help noticing the frequency with which this kind of appeal is made – or suggested by the Sierra Leone press……
Whereas the Gambian presidential elections are over and the Gambia has voted resoundingly for the continuity of president Jammeh’s development programme, a Diaspora Stockholm–based Sierra Leonean told me just yesterday, that people in Sierra Leone are still hungry ( he said “starving”) and it’s almost 2007 which is election year in Sierra Leone and these World reports do give some idea of where we are and there seems to be a very tangible and direct correlation between responsible good govern-ment, accountability, rule-of-law democracy and the various levels of standard of living, good health and sustainable development. (I’m banned by the idiosyncratic Cocorioko) so until I say everybody welcome to my blog, they had better come to a more enlightened and forward looking forum to read any of this - I’ll direct them here.
These conditions in which we live have been measured according to available criteria and you do recall not too long ago Sierra Leone was cast – again at 176 out of 177 , just a few points ahead of Niger which has been devastated by famine from the previous years:
Sierra Leone, unhappily is at number 176 out of 177:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index#2006_report
The ranking from 1 to 177:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index
http://www.answers.com/topic/human-development-index
An Econmist.com review of Democracy in our World: A pause in democracy’s march :
http://www.economist.com/theworldin/international/displayStory.cfm?story_id=8166790&d=2007
Sweden is Number ONE in the World Democracy League, Sierra Leone is positioned at N. 121 under “ Authoritarian Regimes” in the League table, with some unexpected and strange bedfellows
http://www.economist.com/media/pdf/DEMOCRACY_TABLE_2007_v3.pdf
How Democracy is defined and measured for this study…..
http://www.economist.com/media/pdf/DEMOCRACY_INDEX_2007_v3.pdf
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Edited by - Cornelius on 28 Nov 2006 21:20:35 |
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Ousman
USA
103 Posts |
Posted - 28 Nov 2006 : 22:40:47
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| I guess our boy King(George Bush)'s assault on our civil liberties and the elections debacles lately contributed a lot to the low ranking of the United States. I agree with Momodou (wink to the Camaras) that the Gambia belongs under the authoritarian category. I don't even want to imagine what life is like for those living in countries ranked below the Gambia. |
http://Gambian.blogspot.com |
Edited by - Ousman on 28 Nov 2006 22:43:03 |
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njucks
Gambia
1131 Posts |
Posted - 29 Nov 2006 : 00:46:47
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well these guys at the Economist are just throwing a joke at us i think. to put Nigeria or DR Congo ahead of Saudi Arabia or Dubai (UAE) or any country infact is just wrong.
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Cornelius
Sweden
1051 Posts |
Posted - 29 Nov 2006 : 06:02:23
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Nigeria!
http://www.nigeriaworld.com/
At least that's the country in Africa that has most lawyers and that has had most military rulers and seems to be dealing with accountability through the rule of law in these civilian presidential times. So many heads rolling.
You( anyone ) can be as cynical as you like about the turbulence - Attiku, Governors in big trouble- and the response to "How now" is usually "nah wah oh" - the governor of Zamfara State ( who instituted Sharia) wants to be president - so does Babangida and my man Muhammadu Buhari, and the US is supposed to be number seventeen?
Well, if the US is 17 ( and we are Numero uno - which we rightly are ( female circumcision or no female circumcision) then it must be as you say, it's us and the rest can be anywhere.
NIGERIA: http://www.hollerafrica.com/showArticle.php?catId=1&artId=109
PS & NB: Gambia at 108 of the Democracy World League is not included in the "Authoritarian regimes" section" per the criteria - scientific as it is/ as scientific as can be and that placing exonerates Dr. Jammeh from the vociferous charges from Santanfara & Co
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Edited by - Cornelius on 29 Nov 2006 07:37:45 |
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Cornelius
Sweden
1051 Posts |
Posted - 29 Nov 2006 : 08:46:52
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Found what I was looking for: Chinweizu's article on Reconstruction of Nigeria. That's mostly the problem isn't it, RE-construction and it's not that African States are wanting in ideas - or politicians' promises of heaven if they get elected although heaven is what some may get afterwards - much later, - only after this life.....
Chinweizu in a Nigerian Bantaba @ the Nigeria Village Square, that's one form of Bantaba: The village square and some of the problems are symptomatic of smallies like Salone and Gambay just as the insights are applicable and eye-openings for all of us brothers' keepers
http://www.nigeriavillagesquare1.com/Articles/Chinweizu/2005/06/reconstruction-of-nigeria-four.html
http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/chinweizu/index.php
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Edited by - Cornelius on 29 Nov 2006 09:10:03 |
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kobo
United Kingdom
7765 Posts |
Posted - 03 Dec 2006 : 01:25:08
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Updates and related report from The Point Newspaper Freedom of Expression Not a Reality in Africa
Says ACHPR Special Rapporteur under http://www.thepoint.gm/National%20Stories732.htm
N.B. Important points quoted above:
"While thanking members states that have recorded some progress in the realization of the right to freedom of expression, Commissioner Tlakula disclosed that some members states, including The Gambia, had not replied to appeals from the Special Rapporteur concerning alleged violations of freedom of expression."
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