Democracy Dies in Darkness: Hungary, Hong Kong and Azerbaijan
Democracy dies in darkness and the crisis we’ve been through, is the pure darkness, where politicians is able to move on freely! Move to where? A better future, a chance to improve messed up work conditions, environmental issues, or revising unjust payment system? Genuinely it’s not, it’s time to take power hand on. Worldwide democracy’s been cracking down under the governance of right wings. Demolishing of the parliaments, pro-opposition arrests, and restraining the right to reach information are some common issues of today. We’ll see three examples where anti-democratic movements have skyrocketed during/by the corona virus pandemic.
Hungary:
Victor Orban who is far-right Prime Minister of Hungary has taken the power to ‘rule by decree’ with emergency law, that is passed on 30 March by excusing the coronavirus. Although Hungary was confronting with the democratic issues in the last decade, something like that has never happened before: like other countries, Orban has turned the crisis to his advantage. While the EU will likely be focused on reducing the crisis impact on economic and public health frameworks, Orban is going to focus on the power is given. According to the last announcement of government, “all given powers will have been ending on June 20”. However, whether should we consider when it will end or should we discuss legitimize the new rules?!
By taking advantage of the crisis, they have been working on some changes on migrant rights and transgender. One of the new laws in this period regarding transgender, was signed into law this week, contains that “Hungary will now tie an individual’s gender to the person’s sex and chromosomes at birth”.
Another important area he’s taken advantage of is on media freedom. Frankly, he’s been seized the media outlets in Hungary and it’s known media outlets in Hungary surrounded with pro- Orban media moguls. As soon as the coronavirus swung the revenue model of media outlets, that is the loss of advertisement revenue, Orban bought and thus include once more independent media outlet to his side. Like Hungary, Turkey all the countries which govern under the one-man system will be losing its voice soon or later.
“Of course, if the traditional media survive!”
Hong Kong:
Mainland China Conflict is nothing new to world, whereas, in the last eight months People’s Republic of China government has been attempting to intervene Hong Kong and tries to end “one country, two system” policy which is agreed with Britain in 1998. Although HK counts as a part of China in this system that allows some freedom to residents like self-governing, finite election rights, and a largely separate legal and economic framework regardless of Chinese government control mechanism.
In against to protest of resides of Hong Kong, China decreased the level of tension. Meanwhile, coronavirus had started to appear and new restrictions have putted into implementation. As soon as China government take control over on Covid-19 pandemic, they saw the opportunity to get control over in Hong Kong again. (see. Lee Y.N., 2020)
In 21 May’ China Parliament decided to create a new establishment plan for HK that means end of the ‘one country, two system’. So, What sign of it? Imagine that your family look to move another land (if they are lucky and have enough saving) and you need to delete all of your social media accounts. Just because you criticized or even talked with friends about the PRC government, you know that as soon as they took the control, all of your rights will be removed! Here it’s not important to ask what would you do but instead what would you feel!? This is why Hong Kong residents rebelling against the police, indeed, the People’s Republic of China government.
There is a flood that reveals the importance of why Hong Kong is important for China.
Azerbaijan:
Although Azerbaijan has been governing under the control of one man that is President Ilham Aliyev since 2003, the last cases show that they are on the edge of killing the democracy completely. Mr. Aliyev fight against their dissidents that includes activist, journalist, etc. by using all apparatus of government. As soon as, first coronavirus cases have appeared in Azerbaijan, Mr. Aliyev decided to take precautions on preventing the spread of the virus. In order to that several restrictions had taken action such as lockdown restriction. However, authorities have begun making spurious charges on pro-opposition journalists and activists by stressing out that breaking curfew rules and disobeying the police officers.
As well as, charges keep continuing against the journalist, Tofiq Yaqublu, who is leader of opposition party , was arrested by the police right a few days after Mr. Aliyev called the opposition as traitors, enemies. Official statement about the reason why Mr. Yaqublu is arrested is ‘procreating hooliganism’.
“Let prisoners free, let democracy free!”
In a nutshell, despite whatever the system is, neither Republic nor Monarchy, corruption is likely to expand and increase such crisis periods. All democratic systems contain gaps that jeopardize exactly system itself as well as freedom of the public. This means and shows present democratic systems are problematic as much as governers. Even, people have never given them whether an infinite space to move or surpass whatever they like, such crisis times are perfect to expand their power.
We should be aware of these anti-democratic political interests that are going to remain after the COVID-19 since the political path that US and PRC follows, is showing us that. Nevertheless, the darkness which came with COVID-19 pandemic could be an exit and root one man system out as well.
