Hemispheric Leaders Appeal to Summit to Protect Democratic Gains

Quebec City…..Twenty-eight former presidents and prime ministers from the Western Hemisphere appealed to heads of state at the Summit of the Americas here today to take action to safeguard democracy in the region.

In an open letter published in Le Soleil daily newspaper, the group recommended that free elections and democratic practices be a criterion for countries to participate in future regional summits and the Free Trade Area of the Americas. They also asserted undemocratic national elections were tantamount to "an irregular interruption of democratic governance" and, therefore, should be grounds for invoking Organization of American States Resolution 1080, which convokes an emergency meeting of the Permanent Council of the OAS when a country's democratic process is interrupted. Their recommendations are directed to proposals under consideration for one of the three key themes at the Summit - strengthening democracy.

"There is great concern in the hemisphere that the quality of democracy is weakening or eroding in some areas, and that even the fundamental democratic exercise of choosing one's leaders has suffered setbacks. The threats to democracy in the twenty-first century no longer stem from military coup d'etats, but rather from the absence of accountability of leaders to citizens. OAS Resolution 1080 needs to be adapted to respond to these new challenges," said Dr. Jennifer McCoy, director of the Latin American and Caribbean Program (LACP) at The Carter Center in Atlanta, Ga., which organized the letter.

Minimum standards for democracy cited in the letter included: national elections that give ample opportunity for major parties to get their messages to voters, the absence of physical coercion or intimidation in elections, a secret vote and honest count, and a meaningful appeals process. The leaders also emphasized respect for human rights, military subordination to civilian authority, and the need for institutional checks and balances, including an independent judiciary.

The letter was signed by: former Argentina Presidents Raúl Alfonsín and Carlos Saúl Menem, former Panama President Nicolás Ardito Barletta, former Costa Rica Presidents Oscar Arias Sánchez and Rodrigo Carazo, former Colombia President Belisario Betancur, former El Salvador President Armando Calderón Sol, former U.S. Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford, former Guatemala Presidents Vinicio Cerezo and Ramiro de León Carpio, former Nicaragua President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, former Canadian Prime Minister Joseph Clark, former St. Lucia Prime Minister John Compton, former Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernández Reyna, former Chile President Eduardo Frei, former Ecuador Presidents Osvaldo Hurtado and Jamil Mahuad Witt, former Uruguay Presidents Luis Alberto Lacalle and Julio María Sanguinetti, former Venezuela President Carlos Andrés Pérez, former Panama President Ernesto Pérez Balladares, former Belize Prime Minister George Price, former Honduras President Carlos Roberto Reina, former Bolivia President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada, former Barbados Prime Minister Lloyd Erskine Sandiford, former Prime Minister of Jamaica Edward Seaga, and former Paraguay President Juan Carlos Wasmosy.

The Carter Center is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, which advances peace, democracy, and human rights. Signatories to the letter in Le Soleil are members of the Center's Council of Presidents and Prime Ministers of the Americas, a group of former and present heads of governments from the Western Hemisphere who promote democracy and the peaceful resolution of the region's conflicts.

OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENTS AND PRIME MINISTERS
PARTICIPATING IN THE SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS
Quebec City, April 2001

We the undersigned former presidents and prime ministers from the countries of the Western Hemisphere wish you a fruitful discussion on this historic occasion, and respectfully propose for your collective consideration the following measures to strengthen and safeguard democracy in the Americas:

1. That participation in future Summits and the Free Trade Area of the Americas be restricted to democracies, meaning at a
minimum those countries where national elections are characterized by ample opportunity for major parties to get their
messages to the voters, the absence of physical coercion or intimidation, a secret vote and honest count, and a meaningful
appeals process. In addition, democracies are understood to respect human rights, maintain military subordination to
civilian authority, and feature institutional checks and balances to provide public accountability, including an independent
judiciary such that the rule of law is applied equally to all citizens.

2. That the Organization of American States be encouraged to view undemocratic national elections as tantamount to an irregular interruption of democratic governance and grounds for invoking OAS Resolution 1080;

3. That the Organization of American States receive the support of Summit leaders to establish a peer review mechanism for
monitoring compliance with the Inter-American Convention Against Corruption;

4. That the region's leaders collectively commit to transparency in political party and campaign finance; internal democracy in
selecting party leaders and candidates; and the promotion of independent, professional and non-partisan election authorities.

LETTRE OUVERTE AUX PRÉSIDENTS ET PREMIERS MINISTRES
PARTICIPANT AU SOMMET DES AMÉRIQUES
Québec, avril 2001

Nous, soussignés, anciens présidents et premiers ministres des pays de l'hémisphère occidental, vous souhaitons une discussion fructueuse en cette occasion historique, et vous proposons respectueusement pour examen collectif, les mesures suivantes destinées à renforcer et à sauvegarder la démocratie au sein des Amériques:

1. Que la participation aux sommets à venir et à la zone de libre-échange des Amériques (ZLEA) soit limitée aux démocraties, c'est-à-dire au minimum aux pays où les élections nationales sont caractérisées par la liberté pour les principaux partis de faire parvenir leur message au électeurs, par l'absence de contraintes physiques ou d'intimidation, par un vote secret et un dépouillement honnête, ainsi qu'un bon processus d'appel. Nous entendons en outre par démocratie le respect des droits de la personne, le maintien de la subordination militaire à l'autorité civile de même que l'équilibre des pouvoirs institutionnels en vue d'assurer une responsabilité nationale, y compris un système judiciaire indépendant permettant que la primauté du droit soit appliquée également à tous les citoyens.

2. Que l'Organisation des États américains (OÉA) soit encouragée à considérer les élections nationales non démocratiques comme une interruption irrégulière de l'exercice démocratique des pouvoirs, constituant une raison suffisante pour invoquer la résolution 1080 de l'OÉA.

3. Que l'Organisation des États américains reçoive le soutien des dirigeants du Sommet pour établir un mécanisme d'étude par des pairs visant à contrôler la conformité à la Convention interaméricaine contre la corruption.

4. Que les dirigeants de la région s'engagent collectivement à faire preuve de transparence en ce qui a trait au parti politique et au financement de la campagne, à une démocratie interne dans le choix des dirigeants et des candidats des partis, ainsi qu'à la promotion d'autorités électorales indépendantes, professionnelles et non partisanes.

CARTA ABIERTA A LOS PRESIDENTES Y PRIMEROS MINISTROS
PARTICIPANTES DE LA CUMBRE DE LAS AMERICAS
Ciudad de Québec, Abril de 2001

Nosotros, los ex Presidentes y Primeros Ministros de los países del hemisferio occidental abajo firmantes, les deseamos un fructífero debate en esta ocasión histórica y con todo respeto proponemos para vuestra consideración colectiva las siguientes medidas orientadas a profundizar y salvaguardar la democracia en las Américas:

1. Que la participación en futuras Cumbres y en la Zona de Libre Comercio de las Américas esté limitada únicamente a las democracias, significando con ello la inclusión de aquellos países en los que las elecciones nacionales garanticen por lo menos las siguientes características: que los partidos políticos mayoritarios tengan la oportunidad de transmitir sus mensajes a los votantes; la ausencia de coerción física o intimidación; voto secreto y recuento de votos transparente y un proceso de apelación significativo. Además se entiende que las democracias deben respetar los derechos humanos, mantener las Fuerzas Armadas subordinadas a la autoridad civil, asegurar una rendición pública de cuentas mediante balances institucionales así como un poder judicial independiente que permita aplicar la ley por igual a todos los ciudadanos.

2. Que la Organización de los Estados Americanos sea impulsada a considerar aquellas elecciones nacionales que no cumplan con las características democráticas como una interrupción irregular del gobierno democrático y como razón suficiente para invocar la resolución 1080 de la OEA.

3. Que la Organización de los Estados Americanos reciba el apoyo de los líderes de la Cumbre para establecer un mecanismo de fiscalización entre pares conforme a la Convención Interamericana contra la Corrupción.

4. Que los líderes de la región se comprometan colectivamente a la transparencia en lo concerniente a la financiación de los partidos políticos y las campañas electorales; a la democracia interna en la selección de líderes partidarios y candidatos; y a la promoción de autoridades electorales independientes, profesionales y apartidarias.

CARTA ABERTA AOS PRESIDENTES E PRIMEIROS MINISTROS
PARTICIPANTES DA CIMEIRA DAS AMÉRICAS
Cidade de Quebec, Abril de 2001

Nós abaixo assinados, ex-presidentes e ex-primeiros ministros dos países do Hemisfério Ocidental, nesta ocasião histórica, desejamos a V.Excias. uma discussão profícua e, respeitosamente, propomos à sua consideração conjunta as seguintes medidas para fortalecer e proteger a democracia nas Américas:

1. Que a participação em futuras Cimeiras e na Área de Livre Comércio das Américas seja restrita a democracias, o que
significa, no mínimo, aqueles países nos quais eleições nacionais sejam caracterizadas pela ampla oportunidade dos principais partidos comunicarem suas mensagens aos eleitores, a ausência de coerção física e de intimidação, a existência de voto secreto e apuração honesta dos mesmos, e um processo de apelação significativo. Além disso, democracias pressupõem respeito aos direitos humanos, manutenção da subordinação militar à autoridade civil, e a existência de mecanismos institucionais de controle e equilíbrio ("checks and balances") de modo a permitir a existência de responsabilidade pública, inclusive um judiciário independente de tal forma que a supremacia da lei seja aplicada igualmente a todos os cidadãos.

2. Que a Organização dos Estados Americanos seja incentivada a considerar eleições nacionais não democráticas equivalentes a uma interrupção irregular da governança democrática e motivo para invocar a Resolução No. 1080 da OEA.

3. Que a Organização dos Estados Americanos receba o apoio dos líderes da Cimeira para estabelecer um mecanismo de revisão pelos seus pares para monitorar o cumprimento da Convenção Inter-Americana contra a Corrupção.

4. Que conjuntamente os líderes da região se comprometam a adotar a transparência no financiamento dos partidos políticos e dos fundos para campanhas políticas; democracia interna em selecionar líderes partidários e candidatos; e a promoção de autoridades eleitorais independentes, profissionais e não partidárias.

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