Page 10 - GEORptJul18

There was a lull in the protests after June 6, but they resumed on June 10 with demonstrators setting up tents in front of the parliament building. Zaza Saralidze, the father of one of the victims and one of the protest leaders, demanded the immediate release of Kuprava and the other two protesters.
Saralidze and his supporters are demanding the government's resignation. On June 4, Saralidze said he was unmoved by a meeting with Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili . He said after the talks: "I have absolutely the same position—the system should be destroyed."
2.5 Democracy in Armenia and Georgia deteriorated slightly in 2017, Freedom House concludes
Armenia's corruption index rating declined from 5.25 to 5.50 in 2017 as a result of the solidification of the system of graft under the rule of the Republican Party, watchdog Freedom House wrote in its latest report on freedom in the world published on April 11.
Armenia's transition from a presidential to a parliamentary republic, currently underway, took place after a heavily flawed referendum in 2015, according to Freedom House, in which there were reports of the abuse of administrative resources, voter intimidation, the alteration of votes and fraudulent voting.
In 2017, the country held relatively uneventful parliamentary elections, which saw the emergence of two opposition parties - Prosperous Armenia, led by business tycoon and former politician Gagik Tsarukyan and the Yelk alliance, which formed shortly before the election in late 2016.
Armenia is considered a "semi-consolidated authoritarian regime" by Freedom House, reflecting the fact that freedom of speech in the country is curtailed and that journalists face harassment. This year will be dominated by former president Serzh Sargsyan, who is currently pursuing the office of prime minister with extended powers. His appointment in this position will have implications for institutions at the national level and will serve as an indication of the ruling elites' true intentions regarding the constitutional changes, according to the watchdog.
Freedom House rates countries from 1 to 7, with 7 being the worst score, based on seven different metrics - corruption, independent media, local democratic governance, judicial independence, electoral process, civil society and national democratic governance.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Georgia also experienced a deterioration in its Freedom House score, from 4.61 in 2016 to 4.68 in 2017, which corresponds to a marginal degradation in its democratic governance. The country is classified as a "transitional government or hybrid regime". The main changes the country unerwent in 2017 were a decline in its independent media rating, from 4 to 4.25, due to the politicised editorial policies at Georgian Public Broadcasting, the state-owned broadcaster; and in the judicial framework, a fall from 4.75 to 5, due to the illegal deportation of Azerbaijani dissident and journalist Afghan Mukhtarli to more dictatorial neighbour Azerbaijan.
In response to the rating, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said that
10 GEORGIA Country Report July 2018 www.intellinews.com