Page 40 - bne_March2019_20190306 magazine

40 I Eurasia bne March 2019
A pro-democracy rally in Baku, Azerbaijan. Such demonstrations are sometimes permitted but are tightly controlled. Azerbaijan came in for some heavy fire in the CPI 2018 report.
“Corruption thrives where weak demo- cratic practices exist. Combined with a lack of political will to combat corrup- tion in the public sector, countries across the region are undermining the politi- cal rights of their citizens. As a result, people are unable to speak out, demon- strate or associate with organisations or activist groups – at least not without fear of consequences. At the same time, cor- ruption locks these countries in a vicious cycle where the ruling politicians have no real incentive to allow for democrati- sation and strengthening of independent institutions.”
Georgia’s backsliding
Anti-corruption watchdog TI also sound- ed the alarm over Turkey and Azerbai- jan’s neighbour Georgia, concluding that it “faces democratic backsliding, making it both vulnerable to high-level corrup- tion and a country to watch moving forward”.
Although the nation on the Black Sea’s eastern coast fared better than any other country in the Eastern Europe & Central Asia region – it placed 41st of 180 assessed countries with 58 points compared to 46th in the 2017 survey with 56 points ” – it came in for some firm criticism from TI.
In a press release on the CPI results, TI said: “Despite an urgent need to investi- gate cases of corruption and misconduct in the government, Georgia has failed to establish independent agencies to take on this mandate.
“Impunity contributes to public distrust. According to a recent poll conducted by
ency International. “Corruption chips away at democracy to produce a vicious cycle, where corruption undermines democratic institutions and, in turn, weak institutions are less able to control corruption.”
Stench from Azerbaijan
The CPI performance of Turkey’s neigh- bour and close business and political partner, Azerbaijan, also creates quite
a stench on even the most generous viewing. The Azerbaijanis drastically dropped six points on the latest index. The gas-rich nation’s points score declined to 25 in 2018 from 31 in 2017 while its ranking worsened to 152nd from 122nd.
TI observed: “Azerbaijan’s decline follows a continued crackdown on
civil society and independent journal- ists. Over the last couple of years, the Azerbaijani government has made it immensely difficult for civil society organisations, including our chapter Transparency International Azerbaijan, to accept international funding that would allow them to continue to oper- ate. By tightening access to funds, the government is curbing citizens’ ability to organise and speak out.”
The anti-corruption watchdog, which relays the perceptions of experts
and businesspeople in its CPI, also
www.bne.eu
recapped how in September 2017
the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) published an investigation that revealed a $2.9bn money laundering operation and slush fund run by Azerbaijan’s ruling elite. The Azerbaijani Laundromat operation used the siphoned funds to promote the country’s image abroad and distract from human rights violations committed under its authoritarian regime, according to the report.
Azerbaijan also got some special unflattering mentions as TI attacked declines in democracy which go hand in hand with rising corruption. It said: “From Russia to Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan, many democratic institutions and norms across the region are currently under threat – often
“TI also sounded the alarm over Turkey and Azerbaijan’s neighbour Georgia, concluding that it “faces democratic backsliding”
from authoritarian rule. Governments throughout Eastern Europe and Central Asia are failing to preserve the checks and balances that are foundational
to democracy and instrumental in controlling corruption.
our chapter, Transparency International Georgia, 36 per cent of citizens believe that public officials abuse their power for personal gain. This is up from only 12 per cent in 2013. Progress in anti- corruption will continue to stall and reverse if the Georgian government does