UP parliamentarian Clarence Connor has a point (see Tuesday paper). The former interim cabinet led by Prime Minister William Marlin had electoral reform as one of its main tasks given by Governor Eugene Holiday. The issue was also mentioned as reason to extend the shortened term of that transitional government by several months.
Nothing much happened in the end, of course, also not since the Marlin Cabinet II was installed at the end of last year. The opposition member thus has enough cause to call out the current NA/US party/DP coalition over this matter.
But it’s also true that various proposals to actually do something about the main concern of so-called “ship-jumping” by legislators to bring down governments soon ran into trouble. After all, forcing elected representatives to toe the party line or lose their seats would go against the oath they take to act in good conscience, known as the “free mandate.”
It was then suggested that only the biggest personal vote-getters who earn their seats outright will effectively “own” such, while those in office thanks to others are not free to go independent. However, this would to a certain extent create two types of seats with differing values.
Finally, the recommendation came to make it so members who break with their fractions may remain in the legislature, but their seats cannot be used to form governments. However, the Kingdom Council of Ministers that must give its approval to amend the Constitution did not favour this option either, basically due to the same free mandate principle.
Moreover, the latter scenario could lead to stalemate when there is a new majority that isn’t able to bring about a change of government, yet can easily boycott the Council of Ministers. It could also pass motions of no-confidence against cabinet members, be it without the power to replace them.
So, expecting major electoral reform to solve this particular problem by now seems a bit unrealistic. The existing situation is hardly perfect, but the same goes for most political systems around the world.
