ADDIS ABABA - The COVID-19 pandemic has regressed key aspects of democracy in Africa and the Middle East, including the disruption of electoral processes, restrictions on civil liberties like freedom of expression, and increasing persecution of opposition leaders and parties. The pandemic has hit the region at a time in which the significant advances of democracy in the last decades were coming to a halt.
These are the findings from the
The major challenges brought about by the pandemic involve the management of elections, restrictions on civil liberties, worsening gender equality, deepening social and economic inequalities, disruption to education, deterioration of media integrity, disruption of parliaments and an amplified risk of corruption. These challenges have exacerbated and accelerated long-standing problems in the region.
International IDEA participated at the webinar
The webinar discussed the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken in Asia to democracy, peace and security in the region. While pandemic still raging, many countries are also facing challenges of local politics, and security issues. Political leadership is challenged to manage not only pandemic but also other persistent and ongoing issues, such as internal conflicts and human security challenges. Longer term concerns over economic slowdown are shadowing decision making. The Webinar focused on Indonesian experience in the regional context.
In reference to Global COVID-19 Monitoring Tool of Democracy and Human Rights, Leena Rikkilä Tamang mentioned that, on positive side, Indonesia has deployed significant welfare programmes for its citizens and openly reported the data about the pandemic. Yet, Media Integrity and Freedom of Expression have been curtailed amid the pandemic under the pretext of stopping disinformation with