I saw today where the CBC website was running the headline "Cannon to Karzai: We're not impressed", because apparently Karzai is upset that Canada intends to put pressure on Afghanistan to increase international monitors of their elections. Karzai has passed a new law to limit oversight. Is this supposed to reflect poorly on our Foreign Ministry? We want to put pressure on them to increase electoral oversight as a response to allegations of electoral fraud of Afghan officials, and this somehow paints a negative picture of our government? Isn't this doing the right thing?
I don't always think what's best for Karzai is best for the people of Afghanistan. I was rooting for him to lose the last election. If there is spreading belief that the elections are rigged, people will lose confidence in their fledgling democracy. Putting pressure on their government to increase transparency and oversight is exactly what should be done. To do nothing would be a form of depraved indifference that could erode the long term sustainability of the electoral process in a volatile country.
Maybe the CBC is looking for alternative funding partners for 2010-2011?
ReplyDeleteMaybe they can ask visit those Poppy Farmers and ask for a subsidy for friendly stories?
A weekly show, remote location from an undisclosed cave...
Nothing wrong with cleaning up the image of warlords too boost their Canadian Content.