Democratic Aid

Exporting democracy takes more than peace and economic stability. You also have to train the politicians who will run the country.

Afghanistan had a presidential election last month, but the final results have not yet been announced. The election was hotly contested, allegations of fraud are widespread, and complaints are being investigated. It may surprise you to learn that there is a Canadian at the centre of all this.

Grant Kippen, an Ottawa native, is the chair of Afghanistan’s Electoral Complaints Commission, a position he also held during Afghanistan’s 2005 parliamentary elections. It was Mr. Kippen’s commission that ordered a partial recount of the vote, which has delayed the results. It is Mr. Kippen’s commission that is responsible for investigating some 2,300 complaints, and that has the power to call an entirely new vote. He is doing very important work for Afghanistan.

It may surprise you to hear of Mr. Kippen’s role in Afghanistan, but it shouldn’t. Canadians are active in promoting our democratic values worldwide.

Some examples of Canadian activity abroad include the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development (Rights and Democracy), created by Parliament in 1988, which last year had a budget of over $11 million. It is tasked with promoting democratic development and human rights, and largely focuses on civil society and civic education. The Parliamentary Centre, founded in 1968, helps strengthen parliaments and legislatures abroad. CIDA, Elections Canada, Foreign Affairs Canada, along with other agencies and organizations are also active in the field.

Canada lags, however, in providing assistance and training to politicians and political parties in the art and science of democratic politics. This is a job for Canada’s political parties and politicians, and it is essential for democracy and important for Canada that they step up to the plate.

Other countries do it quite successfully including Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. For instance, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy is Britain’s government agency responsible for democratic assistance, where political parties take an active role, and initiate their own projects. The Labour, Conservative, and Liberal Democratic parties have all been involved with large projects around the world, while smaller parties have worked on regional projects. As an example, Britain’s Conservative Party has run projects for sister parties in Africa and Eastern Europe to help develop campaign and voter communications skills.

If we want to support the development of democratic values in places like Afghanistan, then a free media, strong civil society, independent judiciary, and the participation of women and minorities are all important. But so too are wise, responsible, skilled, and democratic parties and politicians.

Democratic politics is political, competitive, and requires a great deal of skill. An effective candidate or campaign manager needs to be a communicator, philosopher, policy maker, human resources manager, and administrator. The only way to get good at these things is experience and training, and who better to provide it than like-minded politicians and political practitioners. Canadian political parties and politicians should be active in democratic assistance work for this reason.

These kinds of programs also help parties and politicians here in Canada.

First, democratic assistance programs give like-minded politicians and parties the chance to build relationships beyond the official state-to-state relations administered by embassies and foreign affairs personnel. While the official relationship is important, personal networks are often helpful in addressing irritants between countries, and in advancing common projects like trade agreements or cooperation in international bodies.

Second, it is essential that politicians have a solid understanding of the history, culture, and politics of other countries. To gain this perspective, political leaders need multiple, independent, and trustworthy sources of information and analysis. There is no better opportunity for a politician to learn about Afghanistan than from a party member stationed there to work on a party-initiated project. Likewise, a fellow member of caucus with contacts in China as a result of participating in a program there is an invaluable resource in Parliament.

There are plenty of models for Canadians to consider when it comes to democratic assistance. It has been about five years since a Democracy Canada Institute was proposed, and the federal government has expressed an interest in this file. It is important that we get on it, and support these worthwhile efforts. In Afghanistan, soldiers and officials have been bravely carrying the burden for years now. If we ever expect democratic values to take root, then it’s time for those of us interested in democratic politics to carry our share of the burden on the ground.