Fianna Fáil's sham electoral reform
BY ROBBIE MacGABHANN
Was it just the start of the silly season or the beginning of a prolonged
bout of Fianna Fáil buttering up the electorate? Whatever the answer, the
Fianna Fáil electoral reform bandwagon is rolling again. You might not have
noticed, but in the last year the Soldiers of Destiny have reformed local
government in the 26 Counties and are now moving on to the Leinster House
electoral system.
Environment minister Noel Dempsey wants to reduce the number of TDs from
166 to 120. He wants 90 TDs elected to single seat constituencies and a
further 30 chosen by a list system. A second variation on the Dempsey plan
is for a 60-60 split between single-seat constituencies and list-elected
TDs.
According to Dempsey, this would end clientelism and the practice where TDs
are ``too busy trying to ensure they get re-elected by means of doing
favours and engaging in clientelism than they are in trying to do the job
they were elected to do''. Dempsey claims that he wants to make the system
more effective and less wasteful.
other more realistic factor behind Dempsey's proposals is this - Fianna
Fáil have never been happy with the Proportional Representation with a
Single Transferable Vote (PRSTV) system. They have, with the help of the
other larger Leinster House parties, attempted to water down the
proportionality of the 26-County electoral system. Fianna Fáil proposals
have been rejected twice in referenda. These new proposals would also have
to be put to a public vote.
If you look at the current system of five-, four- and three-seater
constituencies, most of the women, the Greens, the PDs, and Independents
are elected from four- and five-seater constituencies. When the current
system was created in 1920, there were nine- and seven-seater
constitieuncies.
The higher the number of seats in a constituency, the wider the political
spectrum that gets elected. Surely the aim of any democratic electroral
system is to have the widest possible political spectrum represented in a
state legislature?
Having a single-seat system means that you end up with a political elite
made up of middle class, middle aged males. Maybe though, looking at Fianna
Fáil as a political party, that is just what Dempsey wants.
If Noel Dempsey is really interested in electoral reform, he would be
better off creating empowered local and regional government. However don't
hold your breath waiting. It is more likely to be a case of a third
referenda as Fianna Fáil try and tinker with the electoral sytem to move
the goal posts in their favour.
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