Opinion poll shows majority of Chileans want to change the electoral system
A survey released this Thursday placed Chile’s long-controversial binominal electoral system under further scrutiny after revealing that 63.2% of respondents are in favour of electoral reform, while only 24.6% wish to keep the binominal system as is.
The survey, by El Mostrador and Universidad Mayor, asked a sample of 1.000 people of their opinions on the binominal system, of which 63.4% also believed that reform would improve the quality of democracy in Chile.
“Generally, people perceive the binominal system as one where nobody loses,” Francisco Diaz, senior researcher at Cieplan, said. “People wonder what value their vote has.”
Chile’s unique binominal system is the constitutional swan song of the Pinochet dictatorship, installed in 1989 to ensure the political right was well represented during the transition to democracy.
The system sees two deputies elected to each of Chile’s 60 districts and two senators elected to each of its 19 constituencies, resulting in a National Congress of 120 deputies and 38 senators.
In Chile’s congressional elections, the majority candidate takes the first seat, with the runner up allotted the second. However, candidates are forced to run in pairs from the same electoral coalition, and two candidates from the same coalition can only win both seats if their coalition received at least twice as many total votes as the competing one. This means that a coalition receiving 65% of the vote in a district wins one of the two positions, while the second place coalition, which received 35%, also wins a position.
This system sees that the two most powerful coalitions - Concertación on the left and Alianza on the right - almost always win a seat each in a voting area.
Supporters of the system claim that it fosters political stability, prevents the creation of populist regimes common to Latin America and ensures representation of the large minority.
Critics, on the other hand, argue that the system has a negative impact on representation, in that the large minority and majority receive an equal stake in an electoral outcome. The system has also been criticized for engendering competition among members of the same coalition, rather than between rival coalitions.
Parties across the political spectrum have called for change, but President Sebastián Piñera has not made electoral reform a priority, choosing not to mention it in his latest “Presidential Message” this month, much to the dismay of those in favour of reform.
Despite the relative dominance of Concertación and Alianza politicians in Congress, independents have managed to enter the political arena and some, like Sen. Carlos Cantero, have taken strongly to the cause of disposing with the binominal system.
“This teaches us, once again, that we are removed from the voice of the people,” Cantero said in response to the survey. “This is a civil outcry that the imposed system does not represent them and neither do we.”
By Angus McNeice - The Santiago Times
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13 comments Feed
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so thats it then, stick with the old system .
This system works just fine, it has given us stability and steady progress since Pinochet was booted out. Don't mess with it.
As for the majority of Chileans not liking it, fuck them. They don't like anything anyway. Unless it's a free government handout.
Now, that's proper democracy :)
Welcome home Chile, welcome home :)
indoctrinated talking,
The Chileans have a right to rule them selves, without interferences or pressure from argentina .
Is this not true .
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
when will you empire builders stop,
1, falklands
2, south S Islands
3,antarctica
4, chile ,
5 ???
True indeed
And if they want to change their election system, who are we to stop them?
I don't agree on ANY colonization, don't care if it's Argentinian or British. Fact is though, that Argentina has no colonies, Britain has quite a few...
ARGEnTINA would have a colony,
[would she not]
I thought you said they were different from the Argies?! Anyway your democratic mask has well and truly slipped
#2 Thats what I was thinking =)
I'm not Argentinian, my main preocupation is the British military's presence in our region. For me, the ultimate solution, is giving the Islanders an independency, and for Britain so recall (disband?) their army, big or small.
Yes or no.
Then do you believe
Argentina and brazil and Chile, should capitulate,
Yes or no.
because the way I see it, you keep on demanding on here for the removal of the British, but silent on the removal of others military ..
You cant have it both ways,
Ho and by the way,
Do you feel that argentina should withdraw its military from around the world, where it is placed,
Yes or no .
simplicity at is best .
That's an easy one... I think every nation should withdraw from any OT they are active in.
so first of get rid of brazilion and argentine, military,
then chile and all you other near countries ,
and then in about a milimium come back here, and request the british, should now concider removing theirs .
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