[size=13pt]Why the Arab Spring has failed: Watchdog claims people have no more freedom than under the tyrants they deposed[/size]

Freedoms gained during the Arab Spring uprisings are being whittled away and fledgling democracies are now under threat, claims a U.S. watchdog.

The Crossroads Report published by Freedom House today, concludes that levels of democratic governance declined throughout the world last year.

It found that gains made in the Middle East and North Africa after the uprising in Libya triggered a wave of protests across the region have notably declined.


Improvements made after Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak, pictured here following his capture, was ousted have not lasted according to a new report

Only Tunisia has shown an improvement in its overall governance score amongst the Middle East-North African countries surveyed.

Bahrain, one of the most stable states in the region, slipped backward, while Egypt showed only a minor improvement.

Worldwide, declines in the quality of governance far exceeded improvements.

The organisation judged levels of democracies by looking at government accountability and the rule of law in civil and criminal matters.

The deterioration raises an alarm for pro-democracy advocates who had hoped the overthrow of brutal authoritarian regimes in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt would lead to lasting democracy.

Vanessa Tucker, project director, said: 'It is unclear whether the popular dismissal of the old models of authoritarianism will translate into enduring public support for novice representative government and contentious institutional reforms.


Tunisia has improved its democratic governance since President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali was overthrown


'There are limits to citizens' patience with respect to political instability, economic disruption and physical insecurity, and the desire to return to a less chaotic environment may allow the leaders to slip back into the familiar habits of authoritarian rule.'

Democratic states place significant value on the findings of the report, using the results to help them decide if a developing can country would use foreign assistance effectively.

The report covers the period from April 2009 to December 2011.

Four criteria were used to assess 72 countries in the survey - accountability and public voice; civil liberties; rule of law; and anti-corruption and transparency.

Figures for half of the countries were updated each year, while Egypt and Tunisia were surveyed for the past two years.

Freedom House says a country score of five out of a total of seven is the minimum standard for effective democratic governance, which it views as essential to an open, just and prosperous society.

In the latest report, Tunisia improved in all categories led by a sharp rise in accountability and public voice, pushing its overall country ranking to 4.11 from around 2.36 before the ouster of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011.

One area of concern the report highlighted was women's rights in Tunisia where it said Islamist political parties have stoked fears that existing rights would be retracted.


Dictator Colonel Gadaffi who was overthrown on August 23 last year. There are concerns that countries such as Libya may return to authoritarian rule

While it uses monitors and experts on the ground and an advisory board, such rankings can be controversial accused of imposing subjective and Western viewpoints.

Levels of accountability and public voice rose in Egypt after President Hosni Mubarak was ousted, but other areas did not show improvements leading to only a small rise in the country's score to 2.25 from 1.98. That despite open elections.

Restrictions on the media, hostility to non-governmental organizations and efforts to restrain women's political activity through 'virginity checks' by the military were cited as areas of concern.

Bahrain, saw its measures decline across the board pulling its country average down to 2.03, the level of pre-uprising Syria, from a recent peak of 3.27 in 2004.



Elsewhere, in South America increases in violence and organised crime reduced scores in the countries surveyed.

The trend included high rates of violence against journalists in Mexico and Honduras, and growing interference by organized crime in the electoral process in Guatemala and Mexico.

Asia suffered major setbacks in the face of power grabs by the executive branch and ruling parties, particularly in Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

Freedom of expression was also constricted as the Indonesian and Cambodian governments and others cracked down on the media.

South Africa, suffered score declines from the increasing dominance of the ruling African National Congress and the government's efforts to limit media freedom.

Electoral abuses in Malawi and Uganda, in addition to growing corruption in Tanzania, were also responsible for significant score drops in African countries assessed in the latest report.

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Just loves these comments!

I said at the time - don't be surprised if you don't like what replaces the dictators - and so it has come to pass. The only people who are surprised are the western politicians that encouraged it - makes you wonder as to their intelligence.
If you are from the middle east, then you already know that there is no such thing as democracy or freedom. You only have the right to riot against the West.