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Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Is the government representative?

Dear Kin Lian,

I've gone through most of the comments on the General Election. I believe ONE very important point has been overlooked: For a Government to be truly representative of the people, the power it exercises and the mandate it earns has to be PROPORTIONAL to the percentage of total votes polled during the general election. The reference is to the French proportional electoral system. 


Thus if a party wins 66% of the total votes polled it wins ONLY 66% of the total seats in parliament. 34% of the votes being won by the Opposition parties. The Oppositon as a whole get 34% of the seats. The seats won by each opposition party is proportional to the percentage of votes won. 


By this measure, omitting other factors, in the last parliament, the Opposition as a group was entitled to 34% of seats, that works out to 34% of 81 seats, that is, to round off, -  28 seats! 


 The INCUMBENT party has, morally earned only 53 seats, since it won only 66% of a total votes and therefore 66% of 81 seats. It has a mandate only to that extent and no more. 


If the incumbent party wants to dominate 90% of the parliamentary seats, it has to go out there and poll 90% of the total votes. If the same said party wants to control 100% of the seats, SIMPLE -  all it has to do is to go out there and win 100% of the total votes, that is, every single vote polled, not  one vote less!
PS. please post this piece on your website.

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