Foreign Affairs Committee on March 6th, 2008

[Prof. Nipa Banerjee]

But there is a problem with the fiscal balance. By increasing the numbers in the army, there will be a problem with the fiscal balance. They may not have the funding to do that. There could be funding from outside, but eventually this will need to be from within the Afghanistan budget, and that may not be possible.

[The Chair, Conservative, Kevin Sorenson]

Thank you, Ms. Banerjee.

Mr. Miller, you're new to our committee. We welcome you. I think you have a question on this.

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I have a couple of comments, first to Mr. Landry. I certainly agree with you that our role there needs to be to, as you put it, “assist and protect” the community. At the same time, we all realize that sometimes that means confrontation with the Taliban. That's the unfortunate part of it, but it's reality.

I'd also like to thank you, Ms. Banerjee. You mentioned earlier that you worked 18 hours a day for a while, through CIDA. I can tell you, as a farmer in my other life and even sometimes in political life, that I know what those kinds of hours are. So I thank you for that.

There's something that maybe you or any other witness could answer. How many years is it that Afghanistan basically had a democratic government and what have you? Do you know that figure?

[Prof. Nipa Banerjee]

It's doesn't have its own government.

[Larry Miller]

It's in place now; I'm just....

[Prof. Nipa Banerjee]

Well, the thing is, at this Bonn process--which was also imposed--Afghan leadership really was lacking during the Bonn meeting and the Bonn process. It became a western democratic model that was to be placed in Afghanistan; the election brought it in.

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

Approximately how many years has that process been under way?

[Prof. Nipa Banerjee]

Bonn was in 2001, so it's been since then.

[Larry Miller]

The reason I ask that question, ma'am, is that--

[Prof. Nipa Banerjee]

But the democratic institutions are not there, and without the democratic institutions--

[Larry Miller]

It's my time, so I'd like to go on here.

The reason for asking the question is to point out the fact that it's very young--and you can interpret whether you want to call it a democracy or not, but you have to start someplace. I can tell you that we're very lucky to live in a country with a history that goes back to England and what have you--a long democracy. We've improved it, and we can still improve it; all you have to do is go into the House of Commons some day. So that was my point in bringing that up.

Do any of you know how many children are now going to school in Afghanistan as compared with 2003 or 2001?

[Prof. Nipa Banerjee]

It's a huge number. There were no girl children going to school. The number of children going to school was extremely low. There is a huge increase in that; in those social and economic areas, there has been benefit.

By the way, in answer to Mr. Wajid Khan--

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

No, no--

[Prof. Nipa Banerjee]

Okay. It's just that we never answered that one.

[Prof. Nipa Banerjee]

About 38% of the girls are attending school now.

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Landry, I have a question for you. You have been involved in Bosnia; I'm going to mention Bosnia because that's the one you talked about the most. I take it you were involved in the development process there.

[LCol Rémi Landry]

Not necessarily in Bosnia, but more or less in Haiti. In Bosnia I was serving with the EU observer mission in Zenica.

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

Now, I know you haven't been in Afghanistan--

[LCol Rémi Landry]

I have been.

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

Oh, you have been; okay.

[LCol Rémi Landry]

I was there for at least two weeks.

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

I read your résumé, but I missed that.

[LCol Rémi Landry]

It wasn't long, only two weeks.

[Larry Miller, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

In your opinion, from what you know about Afghanistan, is the development process there similar to what needs to be done in Haiti? Is it harder, easier...?

[LCol Rémi Landry]

It's definitely harder because of the security environment, but it's still the same thing. If you go outside Port-au-Prince, there is no law. So what's the use of having police officers if you don't have jails, if you don't have tribunals, and if you don't have the necessary equipment to perform—