There is an elected government in the Congo. The road is long. Democracy is a process that takes a very long time, and it is not possible to build a democracy in the space of four years. Canada has more than 150 years of democracy. However, what Canada can do is support the Congo. We are here to ask Canada for that support.
Instability in the Eastern Congo benefits the mining companies. When certain areas are unstable, the resources are extracted and sent elsewhere. Thus they bring in no income to the Congo. The Congo's budget has been assessed at $6 billion. However, I can tell you that, if all its resources were accounted for, that budget would be 20 or 30 times greater. But the government is not in a position to lead the country.
And let us talk about the effectiveness of MONUC. We saw what happened in Bosnia and in Afghanistan. The United Nations mandates are often very weak. We have very often seen NATO get involved, to finally provide some direction. MONUC, ten years later, is still trying to find its way. Canadian leadership would be welcome, but at the same time that mandate must be changed: a clear mandate is needed so that the people can be protected.
And let us talk about democracy and political parties. There is a government in place, but the other political parties do not have the right to work. Let us take the case of the Canadian government. We know how it works. At the end of an election, some income is generated and, based on the voting, that income is distributed to all the political parties. In the Congo, only the party with the majority has that right. The party with the majority, that forms the government, takes that income to fund its campaign. The other political parties do not have that right.
We are asking Canada for support. There is a government in place. But the Congolese must make their own decisions. They are the ones that will help their country to move forward, but we need that support from Canada for democratic institutions, through the values that you pass on to us. We want to inculcate those same values in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Thank you.