[EM] Introductory Message

[Dave Ketchum]

Do not really think I belong here.

As to the Knesset, I was responding to proposals base on their content, 
and not toward the thinking you are involved in.

As to electronic voting - I STRONGLY believe that is a step ahead.

OF course, buying boxes labeled "electronic voting machine", without 
checking to see whether the content deserves the label, is STUPID - there 
seems to have been an excessive amount of such buying in the US recently!

BTW - I care little whether they do printing of how a voter votes, EXCEPT, 
such printing should not weaken voter secrecy.

On Sat, 08 May 2004 08:51:57 +0200 David GLAUDE wrote:

> In Belgium, a 5% thresold was introduced in the proportional system at 
> almost all level of election.
> 
> This is of course ridiculous and will proof to be anti-democratic if the 
> "Groen!" (Dutch speaking green party) get 4,9% as currently expected 
> less than 40 days before European Election.
> 
> Also it changed the shape of the political landscape in the Dutch 
> speaking side by having all small party merging with the BIG one.
> 
> I don't have a clue on why such a limit was introduce, but when you 
> consider electronic voting in use here and this 5% limit, one can 
> consider the lack of democracy in Belgium.
> 
> 5% in Brussels regional election, it mean about 4 elected 
> representative!!! So it is 4 or 0.
> 
> I had a chance to talk with a representative of one of the 2 BIG party 
> in the French speaking region (we cas say there are 2 BIG and 2 small) 
> and he said he favour a system where there is only LEFT against RIGHT so 
> he was favouring the disparition of any small entity.
> 
> Those 5% are not even efficient to block the extremist party on the 
> dutch speaking side, because they are way above that limit!!!
> 
> Do you have any advocacy reference against those limit?
> Any other country with such silly limit?
> 
> David GLAUDE
> 
> Dave Ketchum wrote:
> 
>>> Presently we vote for the parties that comprise the Knesset 
>>> separately from the PM.  I should like to see voter ratings of 1 - 
>>> 120 (120 corresponding to the number of seats in the Knesset) for the 
>>> parties that are contending for seats in the Knesset.  Thus, 
>>> theoretically, one party could hold every seat in the Knesset (of 
>>> course this scenario is well nigh impossible, but the possibility 
>>> should exist).  This voting procedure would not only determine which 
>>> parties will comprise the Knesset, and how many seats they will have, 
>>> but will do away with the present system of parties having to pass a 
>>> 1.5% thre shold of votes in order to have any representation at all 
>>> (see http://tinyurl.com/22woe).
>>
> 
> (in case tiny URL disapear: 
> http://www.knesset.gov.il/description/eng/eng_mimshal_beh.htm)
> 
>> If I read the 1.5% correctly, it says a party too weak to elect two 
>> members should have none.  Seems like a political question we should duck.
>>
>> Also, I see no need to disturb the proportional representation 
>> presently in use.  Anyone wishing to change this needs to explain the 
>> expected benefits.
>>
>> I read of a variety of methods of creating party lists.
>>      Demanding that all change would likely be most successful at 
>> inspiring enemies.
>>      If some methods are ugly, perhaps these could be improved.
> 
> 
> 
> 


-- 
  davek at clarityconnect.com    people.clarityconnect.com/webpages3/davek
  Dave Ketchum   108 Halstead Ave, Owego, NY  13827-1708   607-687-5026
            Do to no one what you would not want done to you.
                  If you want peace, work for justice.