US DEPARTMENT OF STATE REGARDS AZERBAIJAN AS A COUNTRY WITH “PSEUDO-DEMOCRATIC REGIME”

PanARMENIAN.Net - One of the objectives of the authors of the research was to reveal the possible contradictions between the policy of Washington in respect of the developing countries and the national security of the USA. The conclusion is that the United States sometimes helps the countries ignoring the democratic norms and human values, which contradicts to the interests of the American people.

Azerbaijan is among the countries which in fact use the American aid for strengthening the authoritarian regime. According to the assessment of the authors – Larry Diamond (Hoover University), Michael Porter (Harvard University), Peter Timmer (California University) and Carol Adelman (Hudson Institute) – only four CIS countries can be considered democratic. Those are: Armenia, Russia, Ukraine and, with minor reservations, also Georgia. The level of democracy is being defined judging from the election technologies used in the country, the level of the political pluralism, the possibilities that the oppositional parties and candidates have for a free pre-election campaign. Azerbaijan is included among the countries with a “pseudo-democratic regime”. Those are the countries with the lowest indicator of the level of civil freedoms.

The expert say that in these republics the “parliaments exist only for veiling the realities of the authoritarian regime and serve as a cover allowing to achieve the approval of the international community”. Being in the same list with countries as Cambodia, Cameron, Egypt, Haiti, Kenya and Morocco, Azerbaijan, according to the report, is behind even Jordan, Tanzania and Zambia, countries, which allow to create a competitive atmosphere and pluralism during the elections”. Regarding the regime existing in Baku, the experts say the Azerbaijani authorities “allow a very little dosage of pluralism or freedom”. The report concludes that “there is an authoritative regime in Baku”.
It is evident that the assessments of the report prepared on the order of the Department of State, will affect the political image of Azerbaijan and the perspective of receiving aid from the Western countries. Very important is the fact that the report was published on the eve of the discussion of the issue of prolongation of the decision on temporary lifting of the 907 sector. As it is known, before prolonging for another year the veto on sanctions towards Azerbaijan, the President has to submit to the congress a statement.

It means that the White House has to convince the legislators that the providing Azerbaijan with American aid comes from the national interests of the USA. The supporters of the rehabilitation of the 907 sector have a serious argument – the report of the Department of State confirms that the aid provided to Azerbaijan has not led to change of authoritarian methods of governing. America supports a regime violating the norms of democracy. We shall note that this is the conclusion of analysts that were free from the influence of the Armenian lobbyists. No doubts that this report will create serious problems for those forces of the administration which back the interests of Azerbaijan.