Former International Secretary Michael Beahan joins our team to provide the Quaterly Bulletin coverage of campaigns and elections around the world.

Date:  17 October 2008

ITALY APRIL 2008

Since the last issue of ALP International Projects one of the most important losses for the broad left of politics was the Italian election. Italy, with a population of nearly 58 million has a bicameral system of parliament with a 630 member Chamber of Deputies and a 326 member Senate, both elected for five year terms. Of the 630 members of the Chamber of Deputies 475 are elected from single member constituencies and 155 from the regions by a system of proportional representation. Of the 326 members of the Senate 232 are elected from single member constituencies and 83 by proportional representation from the regions and there are eleven constitutionally-governed senators for life.

In a snap poll resulting from the loss of a confidence vote in the Senate by then centre left leader, Romano Prodi and held in April 2008, Silvio Berlusconi’s centre right coalition, won a majority in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate over his main rival and former Mayor of Rome, Walter Veltroni’s centre left coalition. Berlusconi holds 344 of the Chamber of Deputies 630 seats (about 54%) to Veltroni’s 246, with the Union of the Centre (former Christian Democrats) 36 seats with a few others held by minor parties. Of the Senate’s 326 seats, Berlusconi holds 174 (about 55%) to Veltroni’s 130.

With the absorption of the communist part into the Democratic Party, part of Veltroni’s coalition and the defeat of other elements of the extreme left, this is the first Italian parliament since World War 2 which has no Communist deputies. It is also one of the only European parliament without any Green representatives, given the failure of the Greens to raise the threshold needed for representation.

While the right wing, anti-immigration Northern League, which gained a 9% swing towards it and gave it 60 seats, is capable of forcing an election by withdrawing its support for the Berlusconi coalition, it is thought that the current government will be stable for its five year term.

SERBIA MAY 11

Serbia has a population of 9.4 million. Its 1990 constitution establishes it as a democratic republic with a national assembly of 250 members who are elected by proportional representation for four year terms. At the May 11 election For a European Serbia gained 102 seats (a net gain of 15) with 38.425 of the vote, whilst the Serbian Radical Party won 78 (a net loss of 3) with 29.46 of the vote. The Democratic Party of Serbia won 30 seats (a loss of 13), whilst the Socialist Party of Serbia won 20 (a loss of 3).

KUWAIT MAY 17

The kingdom of Kuwait has a population of 2.1 million with a unicameral system of parliament comprising a National assembly of 50 members. While the constitution dates from 1962, elections have not been regular and the Emir, as head of state has dissolved parliament on a number of occasions. The last two dissolutions, however, have been constitutional and the parliament appears to be moving onto a more stable footing. Women gained voting rights in 2006, but are not yet represented in parliament and recent reforms have attempted to break down the power of tribal groups.

At the May election the Sunni Bloc won 21 seats (an increase in 4 over the last election), whilst Independents, generally pro government and representing tribal interests won 13 (a reduction of 3), with the Shia opposition gaining 9 seats and the Liberals 7 (a loss of 1).

GEORGIA MAY 21

Georgia is a country of 5 million people whose 1995 constitution, following the break-up of the former Soviet Union provides for an executive president, directly elected by the people and a unicameral parliament of 235 members, 75 elected from single member constituencies and 150 by proportional representation. The current President is pro western Mikheil Saakashvili, whose party the National Movement – Democrats also dominates the assembly with 135 members, representing 67% of the vote. The rightist opposition holds 15 seats, whilst it is not clear how the 75 members elected in single member constituencies align themselves.

MACEDONIA JUNE 1

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia ( Macedonia’s official international title) is a country of about 2 million people whose 1991 constitution provides for a directly-elected president, elected for a 5 year term with largely ceremonial powers and a unicameral Assembly of 120 members, elected by a system of proportional representation and 20 from 6 electoral districts for 4 year terms. The early election in June has seen the Assembly dominated by two coalitions. VMRO-DPME is a strange amalgam of the conservative and nationalist Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation, the Democratic Party of Macedonia and the Socialist Party (former communists), who hold 63 seats and the Sun Coalition, who hold 27.

IN OUR REGION

NEPAL APRIL 10 2008

Nepal, with a population of about 26 million established a constitution in 1990 only to have it suspended between 2002 and 2006. An interim replacement constitution was agreed to in 2007 and the 2008 election saw the transition from a monarchy to a democratic republic under this new constitution. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) established itself as the dominant party with 229 of the 621 member Constituent Assembly (38.10%) comprising members elected from single member constituencies together with a top up system of members voted by proportional representation. The Nepali Congress Party (traditional landowners) attracted 115 seats, whilst the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist) won 108 with the remainder going to a raft of minor parties winning anything from one seat to 54 seats (MJF).

TONGA APRIL 23-24

Tonga is a Polynesian monarchy of 110,000 people. It is undergoing a complex process of transition from a monarchy to democracy. The 2008 election was conducted under the 1975 constitution which defines Tonga as a constitutional monarchy with a unicameral Legislative Assembly comprising 30 members, nine of whom are cabinet members appointed by the king, 9 of whom represent the country’s 33 nobles and nine of whom are elected by the people. At the election the nine elected seats were divided among the Human Rights and Democratic Movement, who gained 4, 3 Independents and 2 seats to the Peoples Democratic Party.

Continuing unrest has since led to the King agreeing to relinquish his traditional powers and take advice from the Prime Minister. The Government has also agreed to introduce a constitutional reform bill this year.

NAURU APRIL 26

The tiny Pacific Island of Nauru comprises 13,000 people and an 11 member Assembly elected from multi-member constituencies for three year terms under a constitution approved in 1968. The Assembly elects the president also for a three year term. The April election was called to resolve a deadlock when President Marcus Stephen’s 9 supporters were challenged by the other 9 Assembly members led by the Speaker. The election resulted in all nine of Stephen’s supporters being elected whist three of the Speaker’s supporters lost their seats. The three newly-elected members joined the Government ending the deadlock.

CAMBODIA JUNE 27, 2008

The Cambodian election was held on June 27 2008. Cambodia with a population of 12.7 million has a bicameral system of parliament with a National Assembly of 123 members elected by proportional representation and a Senate of 61 members appointed by the King on the recommendation of the Assembly. In the April election Prime Minister Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party increased its majority by 17 seats to take 90 of the Assembly’s 123 seats. FUNCINPEC, a monarchist party previously providing the main opposition lost 24 seats, retaining only 2, whilst Pak Sam Rainsy (PSR, the reformist breakaway party led by Sam Rainsy ) gained two seats to see it with 26. There have been complaints about the conduct of the election and accusations of corruption and intimidation leveled at Hun Sen, who has gradually consolidated his power to the point where he is effectively unchallenged by the Parliament.

MONGOLIA JUNE 29 2008

The Mongolian election on June 29 caused an uproar as the main opposition party refused to accept the result and rioting ensued. Mongolia, with a population of 2.6 million has had a democratic constitution only since 1992. It has a unicameral parliament with 76 seats in the Great People’s Assembly. Up to this election members, who are elected for four year terms, had been elected from single member constituencies, but changes to the constitution resulted in a system of multi-seat constituencies, which caused delays in counting. In the June election The Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party (a development of the old communist party) gained 39 seats to 25 for the National Democratic Party (a party supporting democratic reform). While riots followed the announcement of the ballot and resulted in at least five deaths, the National Democratic Party has since taken its place in the Parliament.

VANUATU SEPTEMBER 2

Vanuatu’s legislature consists of a unicameral Parliament containing 52 seats, elected every four years, using a single non- transferable vote (SNTV) electoral system.

In 2008, some 341 candidates and 25 parties registered to contest the 52 seats on offer. Of the 9 candidates who were women, two were elected.

The electoral results for 2008 returned a parliament similar in structure to 2004, albeit involving a number of new faces.

The top six parties – VP, NUP, VRP, UMP, PPP and Greens – were returned with marginal changes to their parliamentary numbers.

Edward Natapei, president and parliamentary leader of the VP was elected Prime Minister by the ruling coalition at the first sitting of the new Parliament on 22 September.

KOREA AUGUST 5

Korea is a country of 48 million people, whose new constitution in 1988 provides for a directly elected executive president, who is elected for a 5 year term and a National Assembly of 299 members, 245 of whom are elected from single member constituencies and 54 of whom are elected by proportional representation. The August election saw a big swing against the progressive and liberal Democratic Party, which had formerly governed under Kim Dae Jung and Rho Moo-hyun and which used to attend Socialist International congresses. The Democratic Party lost 80 seats to end to end up with 81 seats to the conservative Grand National Party’s 153 (a gain of 32), other conservative parties also gaining ground

Next Quarterly Bulletin Edition

In the next edition of the Quarterly Bulletin, I will report on the key international elections including Slovenia (September 21), France (half of Senate September 21, Austria (September 28), Belarus (September 28), Lithuania (October 12), Azerbaijan (October 15), United Nations Security Council (October 16), United States – President, House of Representatives and one third of Senate, Romania (November 30), Turkmenistan (December), and in our region, American Samoa, Guam and Palau (November 4), New Zealand (before November 15), Pitcairn Islands (December 24), Bangladesh (December).