The Ukrainian Parliament has declared the election invalid. The Ukrainian people are protesting by the millions. Much of the Western World is crying foul, while Vladimir Putin tries to enhance his power through corruption.
If millions of people protesting peacefully will result in an overturning of the result and a new, fair election, then that’s democracy in action and a shining example of democratic power. Right?
But Ukraine raises more questions than it answers. For one thing, what’s to say that protests against *fair* election wouldn’t ensue? If two million Kerry supporters had taken to the streets after Bush was re-elected this month, would that have resulted in new elections in the United States? Certainly, those people would have had plenty of support among the EU and a good part of the world. But does that give them the right to throw out those results? Of course we’re comparing a fair election and a fraudulent one… but who decides these things anyway?
It also raises questions about double-standards. Canada is mulling breaking political ties with the Ukraine if the fraudulent results stand. That’s an admirable stand for democracy… but what about Canada’s continuing ties with all sorts of dictatorships and despot-controlled countries? Why is a fraudulent election unacceptable to Canada, but a country with no election at all just fine with us?
None of this to suggest that what’s happening in Ukraine is any way okay. The will of the people should determine the leader of the country. And the massive wave of protests is bringing the West’s attention to Russia’s political manoeverings of late – long ignored at our peril, perhaps.
But that’s the thing about democracy. It’s imperfect by nature and needs to be continually challenged and fought for in order to flourish. The drive of the Ukrainian people to see their votes counted ought to mean something to the far too many of us who sometimes take ours for granted.
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