Democracy Tracker
The Democracy Tracker provides monthly, qualitative data on key events with the potential to impact the state of democracy and human rights in 173 countries. The tool highlights how each event affects specific aspects of democracy and provides users with context-based analysis. Click on the country hexagons below to read the most recent developments.
Positive and Negative Events in August 2023
Australia
Bulgaria
Chile
Czechia
Ecuador
Norway
Taiwan
Ukraine
United States of America
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Cyprus
Democratic Republic of the Congo
El Salvador
Ethiopia
Gabon
Iraq
Kyrgyzstan
Nicaragua
Papua New Guinea
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Sierra Leone
Solomon Islands
Somalia
Tanzania
UK
Venezuela
Zimbabwe
*Assessments are relative to each country and do not represent comparisons or rankings between countries.
May 2022
Malaysia
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Critical Events in August 2023
Europe • Bosnia and Herzegovina
The European Court of Human Rights found that territorial and ethnic rules applicable in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH)’s state-level elections are discriminatory, violating the general prohibition of discrimination in the European Convention of Human Rights. BiH’s Constitution defines a power-sharing arrangement whereby the three “constituent peoples” (the Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs) are equally represented in the House of Peoples (a parliamentary chamber) and the tripartite presidency. People outside the three dominant ethnic groups are not included in these arrangements and cannot be elected to these institutions. The ruling held that elections are “undemocratic” because they entrench advantages of the main ethnic groups over others. The case was brought by Slaven Kovačević, an adviser to a member of BiH's Presidency who is not affiliated with any ethnic group, who argued he was not genuinely represented in the 2022 elections.
Africa • Gabon
Gabon held elections for the president, members of the national assembly, and municipal councils on 26 August. The election took place without any international observers, and the government instituted both an Internet shutdown and a curfew as the polls closed. The official result was announced by the electoral commission on 30 August, giving President Ali Bongo Ondimba a third term as he was said to have received 64.3 per cent of the vote, well ahead of the leading opposition candidate Albert Ondo Ossa, who received 30.7 per cent. Opposition parties alleged that the official result was fraudulent.
Shortly after the electoral commission’s announcement, factions of the military led by General Brice Oligui Nguema staged a coup d’état and removed President Ali Bongo Ondimba from power. In a televised address, coup leaders announced that the recent election was annulled, and that government institutions had been dissolved, including the legislature and the Constitutional Court. President Bongo was detained for a week after the coup. General Oligui was sworn in as the interim president on 4 September, promising elections but not specifying a timeline for a return to civilian rule. The coup was condemned by the international community, and Gabon was suspended from the African Union.
Asia and the Pacific • Thailand
On 22 August, Thailand's parliament elected Srettha Thavisin from the opposition Pheu Thai Party (PTP) as the new prime minister, concluding a three-month political impasse. This followed failed attempts by Move Forward Party's (MFP) leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, to secure sufficient support for the position from a military-appointed Senate after winning a plurality in the May polls. Before the failed bid, MFP and PTP had taken steps to form an eight-party coalition. Srettha's election coincides with PTP's decision to form an 11-party coalition that includes two pro-military parties. Move Forward Party was excluded due to its commitment to reform the royal defamation law. Political analysts have expressed uncertainty about Srettha's ability to govern effectively due to PTP's “numerical disadvantage compared to conservative partners in the coalition.” Srettha, considered a "political newcomer," has vowed to address income inequality, LGBTQIA+ rights, and corruption.
Americas • Ecuador
In a referendum held on 20 August, over 58 per cent of voters chose to stop oil extraction in the Yasuni National Park, a UN protected biosphere located in the Amazon. In a second referendum, Ecuadorians also voted to ban all extraction activities in the Choco Andino tropical rainforest, near Quito, with around 68 per cent of support.
Efforts to contain oil production in the Amazon had been spearheaded by Indigenous Peoples and environmental activists, many of them young people, for years. Officials across several administrations and the state’s oil company, Petroecuador, had argued that an end to oil development in Yasuni, would lead to austerity measures with a negative impact on the economy. Petroecuador will have to dismantle its oil processing facilities and provide for reparations.
According to Human Rights Watch, the vote on the Yasuni is the first time a referendum had resulted in a ban on new and pre-existing fossil fuel exploration. Turnout for this referendum neared 83 per cent. Notably, the decision will benefit the Taromenane, Tagaeri and Dugakaeri peoples, who choose to live in isolation in the region, as the drilling activities impacted the quality of their water and resources. Environmental activists have organized to demand the government’s compliance with the referendum as, following the results, officials, including incumbent president Lasso, as well as the candidate currently leading in polls to succeed him, have expressed reservations about the government’s ability to implement the results in the given timeline.
About the Global State of Democracy Initiative
International IDEA launched the Global State of Democracy (GSoD) Initiative in 2016. This Initiative provides evidence-based and balanced analysis and data on the state and quality of democracy globally and for 173 countries across all regions of the world. It aims to contribute to the public debate on democracy and inform policy interventions to strengthen democracy.
Monthly Event Reports
See all the information related to countries that have updates this month.
Africa
COD
GAB
ETH
SOM
SSD
TZA
UGA
TUN
ZWE
SLE
ZAF
MDG
DZA
AGO
BEN
BWA
BFA
BDI
CMR
CAF
TCD
COM
CIV
CPV
DJI
EGY
GNQ
ERI
GMB
SWZ
GHA
GIN
GNB
KEN
LSO
LBR
LBY
MWI
MLI
MRT
MUS
MAR
MOZ
NAM
NER
NGA
COG
RWA
SEN
SDN
TGO
ZMB
Americas
USA
CHL
HTI
GTM
SLV
NIC
BOL
BRA
COL
ECU
VEN
ARG
MEX
CAN
BRB
CRI
CUB
DOM
GUY
HND
JAM
PAN
PRY
PER
SUR
TTO
URY
Asia and the Pacific
KGZ
KAZ
TWN
PNG
SLB
NZL
AUS
MYS
BGD
IDN
PAK
NPL
IND
MDV
THA
LKA
MMR
TLS
AFG
JPN
BTN
KHM
CHN
PRK
FJI
LAO
MNG
PHL
KOR
SGP
TJK
TKM
UZB
VUT
VNM
Europe
BGR
LVA
LTU
SVK
CZE
AZE
UKR
NLD
FRA
GBR
BEL
NOR
GRC
ESP
CYP
BIH
RUS
HUN
KSV
TUR
ARM
CHE
ALB
AUT
BLR
HRV
DNK
EST
FIN
GEO
DEU
ISL
IRL
ITA
LUX
MLT
MDA
MNE
MKD
POL
PRT
ROU
SRB
SVN
SWE
Western Asia
BHR
IRQ
SYR
SAU
IRN
ISR
JOR
KWT
LBN
OMN
PSE
QAT
ARE
YEM
May 2022
Malaysia
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Funders and Donors
The Global State of Democracy Initiative is also supported by contributions of International IDEA Member States