The Democracy Clause and the Declaration of Quebec City

 
At the start of the Third Summit of the Americas in Quebec City, Canada in April, President George W. Bush told the assembled leaders that "the most important aspect of this event is our reaffirmation that this Summit is a gathering of, by and for democracies and democracies only." And indeed, the Summit ended with the signing of a political declaration whose centerpiece is a so-called Democracy Clause.

In this document, the hemisphere's leaders state that "the values and practices of democracy are fundamental to the advancement of all our objectives. The maintenance and strengthening of the rule of law and strict respect for the democratic system are, at the same time, a goal and a shared commitment and are an essential condition of our presence at this and future Summits."

The text goes on to affirm that "any unconstitutional alteration or interruption of the democratic order in a state of the Hemisphere constitutes an insurmountable obstacle to the participation of that state's government in the Summit of the Americas process." Taking into account existing mechanisms at the hemispheric, regional and subregional levels, it proposes consultations between leaders to decide whether a specific country should be excluded. It also calls for the next General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) to prepare an inter-American Democratic Charter "to reinforce OAS instruments for the active defense of representative democracy."

Some analysts have praised the Democracy Clause, noting its similarities to the MERCOSUR mechanism that has succeeded in averting two coup attempts in Paraguay. Other observers, however, question how the clause will be applied, as well as its potential consequences. Skeptics point to recent events in Peru and Ecuador as test cases of whether such phrases as "unconstitutional interruption of the democratic order" will find practical expression, and ask what form sanctions will take.

The Summit leaders also discussed whether the Democracy Clause should apply to participation in the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien argued that it should also encompass the operations of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). "From now on, the benefits of any agreement that we forge will flow only to those nations that adhere to the Democracy Clause," he asserted.

Other heads of state, including Chilean President Ricardo Lagos, called the Democracy Clause "a concrete and specific step toward an understanding that we must share a common democratic vision for the future." According to President Fernando de la Rua of Argentina, its purpose is to "consolidate the stability of governments that are expressions of the popular will, guided by the conviction that democracy is the state in which human beings can realize themselves to their fullest potential."

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez added his signature to the declaration while expressing serious reservations about the inter-American Democratic Charter's role in defining the circumstances under which a country can no longer be classified as democratic. He also questioned the reference in the Democracy Clause to "representative democracy"; in Venezuela, he claimed, representative democracy has been a "trick" to allow corrupt politicians to steal public funds. Ironically, Chávez himself led a failed military coup in Venezuela, and after subsequently winning election his government has come under growing accusations of authoritarianism.

The next OAS General Assembly, to be held on June 3-5 in Costa Rica, will be charged with clearing up some of the confusion by drafting the inter-American Democratic Charter to define the mechanisms for protecting representative democracy in the hemisphere. The Democracy Clause has raised a lot of hope among the people of the region; Mexican President Vicente Fox acknowledged these expectations when he stated that "we have started off the twenty-first century on the right foot."