Article

2004-06-04 Iraq-Jordan

UN Elections Official: Iraq Elections Possible Even Amid Serious Violence

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Posted by Sludj 2004-06-04 3:27:03 PM|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 "The list...the list is life." One thing I don't understand is why we keep pushing, putting, the most unstable form of democratic guv'mint, the Parliamentary system. The Brits do well by it, but the further you enter the hinterlands (europe, the middle east) the more unstable it becomes. Opens guv'mints up to the tryanny of the minority. In America, we don't have a "Green" problem because they don't pass the common sense test. When you form these coalition guv'mints you often have to give the kooks a say.
Need to stop being ashamed of being American, and start pushing the strong tripod, seperation of powers and such.
Elect individuals. Not lists.

Posted by Anonymous5125 2004-06-04 5:44:31 PM|| 2004-06-04 5:44:31 PM|| Front Page Top

#2 Bad news on the voting system. We need decentralized power bases, not a bunch of holdover elites pulling the strings from Baghdad.

Posted by someone 2004-06-04 6:18:13 PM|| 2004-06-04 6:18:13 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 A5125 is right that under a list system you vote for the party and not the person. The advantage is that you get away from personality driven politics and towards issue driven politics, which I would argue is a good thing.

The way you get around the lots of fringe parties problem is to set a threshold for anyone to be elected from a party list, as in Germany, where I beleive the threshold is 5% of votes cast.

I think this a sensible decision, although I dislike the fact the UN gets to make it, but maybe its a bone after the recent snub to the UN by the IGC.

Posted by Phil B 2004-06-04 6:34:02 PM|| 2004-06-04 6:34:02 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 Anonymous5125, here here!

Posted by Damn_Proud_American 2004-06-04 6:55:44 PM|| [http://brighterfuture.blogspot.com] 2004-06-04 6:55:44 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 Either system (proportional/party list or constituency) can work -- but in Iraq's situation, I agree that constituency would be best. Proportional tends to shift power towards the well-organized and funded elites from each region or ethnic group -- who probably were the ones "consulted" by the UN on this. In a post-totalitarian system, I think creating the maximum web of restraint and accountability on government is desirable; electing individuals who would be on the hook to produce for their districts is far superior to proportional in this respect. See Michael Rubin of AEI (articles at NRO and I think AEI website) for a much better analysis along these lines.

Posted by Verlaine 2004-06-04 10:12:56 PM|| 2004-06-04 10:12:56 PM|| Front Page Top

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