Provincial and Territorial Politics in Canada and Beyond

J11 - Federalism, Power-sharing and Intergovernmental Relations in Times of Crises – Canada and Beyond (2)

Date: Jun 13 | Time: 10:15am to 11:45am | Location: UQAM, Pavillon Hubert-Aquin (A), 400 Ste-Catherine E., classroom/local A-1642 and/et Zoom (see détails/voir détails)

Chair/Président/Présidente : Paul Anderson (Liverpool John Moores University)

Discussant/Commentateur/Commentatrice : André Lecours (University of Ottawa)

Zoom Meeting Link | Meeting ID : 963 2080 9865 | Password:

This panel looks at the issues of federalism, power-sharing, intergovernmental relations and crises in a comparative perspective. Looking at Canadian intergovernmental relations, the role of mayors and their access to decision-making in the UK, the judiciary in power-sharing systems, peace negotiations in Cyprus and the question of power-sharing adoptability and durability, the panel brings together a wealth of perspectives on federalism and other forms of power-sharing, institutional arrangements, and discussions on how different systems and institutions deal with crises situations.

UN Mediations and Peace Settlement Preferences in Cyprus and the Cypriot Transnational Diaspora: Neophytos Loizides (University of Warwick)
Abstract: This article explores how preferences for peace settlements differ between populations living in conflict zones and those living abroad as diasporas. We introduce the concept of ‘diaspora home dilemmas’ in United Nations-led peace negotiations and present the first conjoint survey experiment to compare public preferences across two deeply divided communities in Cyprus and their overseas diasporas. The Cypriot case is broadly relevant because of the continuous engagement of the United Nations, past UN arbitration and mediation attempts, and precedents the UN has set through a series of unanimous Security Council resolutions. Those reflect shared international norms on otherwise contentious issues such as ethnic federalism, power-sharing and the right of return for victims of displacement as well as citizen engagement in peace settlements and whether peacekeeping norms resonate with communities in conflict and their overseas diasporas. Results show the views of the Cypriot diasporas are either comparable to kin island communities (‘mirroring home community views’) or in some respects they are even more favourable to a negotiated peace settlement. Furthermore, diaspora members are more likely to consider returning/re-immigrating back to Cyprus if there is a peace agreement suggesting that overseas communities could be critical stakeholders in the Cypriot reunification process. We identify the order of public preferences in multi-issue UN-led mediations across four groups (Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and their respective diasporas) and suggest relevant pathways to maximize diaspora engagement in regional and global politics.

From Adoptability to Durability – Developing a Conceptual Framework: Soeren Keil (University of Fribourg)
Abstract: There is a rich body of literature that focuses on power-sharing adoptability – i.e., how power-sharing arrangements come into being – and on durability (sometimes also referred to functionality). Yet, while scholars have emphasised the links between what is “adopted” in a power-sharing negotiations (often as part of a peace agreement), and how power-sharing systems perform in practice, there is yet to emerge a clear classification and framework for the different linkages of adoptability and durability. We develop a first conceptual framework linking these two elements of the power-sharing lifecycle, contending that the specific institutions agreed at the point of adoption and the circumstances under which they are agreed will inform system durability over time. Drawing on elite interviews, process tracing, and constitutional analysis, we identify four intersection of adoptability and durability: provisions which are adoptable and durable; provisions which are agreeable but not implemented; provisions which are adoptable, implemented but not durable, and; provisions which are not adoptable, and consequently, not durable. Not all that could prove durable is agreeable in negotiations, and not everything that is adopted will turn out to be durable. We account for this discrepancy by focusing on the complex configuration of an evolving and varying set of factors, some of which relate to macro-political dynamics, including the role of external involvement, the willingness of the different sides to compromise and work together, and the calculus of battlefield wins and losses. We also highlight a secondary set of more micro-political considerations, related to interpersonal dynamics and features of process design.

Layers of Power-Sharing: Intra-Communal Power Rivalry and Its Impact on Power-Sharing System in Iraq: Kamaran Palani (Brandon University/Salahaddin University)
Abstract: This year commemorates two decades since the implementation of the ethno-sectarian power-sharing system in Iraq. Much of the existing literature on power-sharing and consociationalism in Iraq has mainly focused on the dynamics of power-sharing among the country's three main ethnic and sectarian groups: Shia Arabs, Sunni Arabs, and Kurds. However, there has been a notable gap in understanding how intra-communal fragmentation influences power-sharing settlements within these communities. This paper seeks to address this gap by empirically examining the dual layers of power-sharing present in Iraq: power-sharing at both communal and macro levels, and power-sharing within individual communities. I will employ the October 2021 parliamentary elections and the subsequent government formation crisis as a focal point for analysis. The paper will also investigate how the appointment and election processes for Iraq's key positions – the president, the prime minister, and the parliament speaker – crucial elements of the power-sharing arrangement in the country, were imperiled by intra-communal divisions. Drawing from fieldwork observations, interviews with policymakers and academics, as well as focus group discussions involving civil society representatives and citizens from various communities, this paper conceptualizes the intricate interaction between these two layers of power-sharing. It sheds light on how this interaction renders the macro-level power-sharing arrangements inherently unstable. By delving into this nuanced aspect of power-sharing, the paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the complexities inherent in Iraq’s post-2003 landscape.