Canada must back election observers
Participation helps promote democracy and peace, writes Basia Puszkar.
When the Russian presidential election was held last Sunday, nearly 500 international electoral observers were present throughout the country, there as part of an electoral observation mission organized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
It is common practice for OSCE member states to contribute to observation of elections in other member states. Canada receives delegations, and usually participates in electoral observation elsewhere. We supported a delegation to observe the Russian parliamentary elections in 2016. This time, Canada was not present.
The reason for Canada’s surprising absence is the federal government has cut all funding for participation in electoral observation. Canada has effectively pulled out of not only the Russian election, but also upcoming Hungarian elections, next year’s elections in Ukraine and all future elections to be held in partner states.
Electoral observation is a valuable practice and should be supported. Objective observation promotes democratic norms, confirming them where they exist, and exposing where they do not. Citizens and candidates see that the world is watching and that rule of law must be upheld. Electoral commissions are encouraged to establish and follow best practices.
Those who would defraud process or results are discouraged from doing so. In cases where democratic norms are not respected, observation can provide a lens into the level and type of corruption and violations of electoral norms. And in cases where results are disputed, observation provides a neutral voice to encourage a peaceful resolution and help avoid the violence that is all too common in such situations.
This support is all the more vital for countries with nascent democratic institutions, historically dictatorial systems and endemic corruption. It is hard to fathom why Canada’s support has weakened to the level of zero.
This decision is particularly surprising given statements the federal Liberal government has made in support of multilateralism. It is also in contrast to their support of Canada’s participation in electoral missions when in opposition.
Many raised concerns regarding the previous government’s decision under then-prime minister Stephen Harper to move the deployment of observers out of the hands of CANADEM, the expert NGO that maintains the roster of the Canadian civilian reserve, to an inexperienced organization. This was an illogical choice, and appeared to be a blatantly political move. It would have been reasonable to expect that a Liberal government would reject such folly and reinstate support that was rooted in expertise. Surprisingly, it has gone even further and pulled out completely.
To not support Canada’s participation in electoral observation is contrary to our values, is not strategic in consideration of our partnerships and goals, and is in contradiction with our official position. In fact, in 2015 at the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting, the Canadian delegation recommended that the organization “continue strengthening and updating its election observation activities.”
It seems rather disingenuous to have made this recommendation, then to withdraw support. There is much to be lost by our withdrawal. Weakened electoral observation efforts may have real impact upon the countries in which observation takes place. It puts expertise that exists in this country at risk. And it sends a poor message to other OSCE countries that reasonably expect members to contribute to these efforts.
Canada once had a wellearned reputation internationally as a force for peace and democracy, but this reputation has been fading for some time and will be damaged further by this decision. We are now distinguishing ourselves in the international arena by our absence rather than by our presence. The government should reverse this decision immediately by providing appropriate funding, strengthening the role of CANADEM, and ensuring that Canada is a true partner in the OSCE.
Canada’s support of democratic principles must be not only in our words, but also in our actions.
Basia Puszkar is a policy professional and writer, with previous experience working in electoral administration and electoral observation. Basia is based in Toronto.