MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands referendum: observers mission partially financed by Canada, claims Argentina

Falklands celebrate results of the March referendum

The Falkland Islands referendum a year ago when an overwhelming majority of Islanders voted to remain as a British Overseas Territory, supported on the UN charter enshrined peoples' right to self determination has become an obsession for Argentina and the official news agency Telam has been researching the international validation of the event and Canadian support stands out strongly.

 According to the Telam research on 18 February last year, the Canadian Foreign ministry (three weeks before the 11 March vote) sent a 233.600 US dollars check to Canadem, a Non Government Organization, with seat in Ottawa and founded by the Canadian government.

The purpose of the funds was “to organize and implement” the mission of observers “to ensure that the inhabitants of the Falklands can express themselves on the future of their territory through a free and fair referendum”.

According to Telam, the spokesperson from the Canadian foreign ministry confirmed the contribution to Canadem, under document 12-1653 and said it had “the objective of a partial evaluation of the referendum”.

Likewise Canada was the only country that officially acknowledged the Falklands' referendum, something which the US nor the European Union did.

“Canada's unconditional and solitary support does not come as a surprise since it is one of the main members of the British Commonwealth, and have Queen Elizabeth as head of state”, says Telam.

The position of the Canadian government was also plain clear in 2012, when at the Americas summit in Colombia it impeded a consensus vote, calling for Falklands' sovereignty negotiations between Buenos Aires and London.

Besides, argues Telam Canada's conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper enjoys close links with his British peer, David Cameron who is also Conservative.

PM Cameron was invited to address the Canadian parliament in 2011 and in June last year, PM Harper became the second Canadian leader in doing something similar before the House of Commons.

According to Telam in that speech he did not deny Canadian involvement in the Falklands' referendum and without naming them talked about “shared values in the South Atlantic, on supporting the right of free peoples living in small islands to determine their own future”.

But Telam insists on the cost of monitoring the results of a referendum with anticipated results: 233.600 dollars to finance a mission of eight observers headed by two US persons linked to the Republican party and two staff from the NGO Canadem.

Finally Telam points out that the Canadem report says the mission checked 1.522 ballots, which works out at 153 dollars per capita, which is considerably higher than the 80 US cents per capita when the 2010 general election and even more than the 8 dollars per capita in 2011 Canadian election that returned the Conservatives and Harper to office.