Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Sunday, October 14, 2012

PM wants next Francophonie summit held in a democracy

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he's glad he attended the summit of French-speaking nations but hopes the next one is held in a country that promotes democratic values.

Harper admitted Sunday that he had definite reservations about taking part in this weekend's international gathering of la Francophonie in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The African country has been widely criticized for abusing human rights and allowing widespread sexual violence against women.

President Joseph Kabila was returned to power last year amid allegations of electoral fraud, something Harper described as "completely unacceptable."

But Harper said his visit allowed him to meet people who are changing things in the country — and that made the trip worthwhile.

"What struck me most was not what they said in particular, but the courage these people have demonstrated in promoting their cause, and expressing their opposition in a place where this is obviously not easy to do," Harper said at a news conference as the summit wrapped up.

Harper, though, expressed hope that future summits would be hosted in countries with a better track record on human rights.

"I hope that in the future, la Francophonie and other major organizations will decide to hold a summit only in countries with democratic standards," he said.

Harper has already threatened to skip the upcoming Commonwealth conference in Sri Lanka unless the country improves its human rights record.

The decision to hold the 14th summit of la Francophonie in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was made before the country's controversial election last December, in which Kabila was declared the winner.

The Harper government used the summit's backdrop on Sunday to announce $20 million over four years toward an international fund that helps developing countries manage their natural resource industries in "a responsible and transparent manner."

Original Article
Source: CBC
Author: CP

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