Electing the prime minister

Dear Editor,

In our current electoral system we vote for all 15 Members of Parliament through a list system of proportional representation, for the term of four years; the so called parliamentary election.

So after voting the people have then voiced their opinion and through a list system of proportional representation, the 15 members-elect are elected to represent the people in parliament.

If these 15 members remain with their seat and do not opt to become a minister or prime minister in the formation of the government, our problem as it pertains to parliamentary democracy and trias politica, would still stand a chance.

After the parliamentary election parties that received the most votes can then seek through negotiations to form the government with the help of an informateur and formateur, which are appointed by the governor, most of the time the outcome of the votes cast would give room for a coalition government formation.

After the informateur or formateur is successful with a majority coalition formation (usually this person would be the proposed prime minister), it should also be noted that the proposed prime minister should be the one because he or she should not be accountable to parliament.

Once this is realized it is then the discussions on allocation of the various ministerial and state secretary post begins, this can be quite a struggle, this because each party in the coalition will try to obtain the most important ministerial post.

The ideal situation is that ministers and or state secretary should be chosen from those that were on the party list, this most of the time it is not done this way, having one to wonder why these individuals was placed on the party list in the first place period !

The coalition government then chooses its constituencies (ministers).

So now you have a government after the parliamentary election is over and the formation process and their constituent chosen.

The possible problem arising through this governmental formation process is that most Members of Parliament-elect would want to give up their seat to become the prime minister or minister.

Once they do that is when the “conflict of interest” begins in parliament and government, the trias politica system; this is because the list system of proportional representation is good for choosing your parliament but absolutely unsuitable for choosing a government, especially when you have it that Members of Parliament-elect will choose on their own to become ministers.

To help resolve this problem and to make sure that you get a parliament for four years and a government for four years I believe that it is high time that we elect Members of Parliament and also at the same time elect who you want as prime minister.

Only then will the people get closer to elect their Members of Parliament and choose who they want as prime minister regardless of the outcome of the election.

The prime minister and the Members of Parliament will be elected to govern for a period of four years uninterrupted, the composition of coalition government if problem occur might change but not the government (your prime minister elect and members of parliament elect.)

So such electoral reform and or constitutional reform should look like this;

• Parliamentary election and Prime Minister election will go hand in hand, each voter would thus cast two votes, one for the prime minister and one for the parliament.
• After the election Members of Parliament-elect cannot choose to become ministers, the people choice should be considered at all times.
• A vote of no confidence can be rendered to a minister through parliament, but not to the prime minister who is elected by the people.
• The prime minister elect will not cast a vote of no confidence to parliament because he also was elected by the people for a term of four years.
• Parliament and prime minister must sit in office for a four years term.
• No parties can appoint ministers that were not on the party list.
• Any candidate on the list of any political party can choose to be elected as prime minister and at the same time prime minister, because the outcome is up to the voters.
• There shall be no obligation of any parliament member to play party politics; every member can vote their conscience without being ousted by their party leader or reprimanded or threatened by their party members or leader. This way true democracy can prevail.

So that is why I am appealing to the people of this country: please let us demand that they do it right this time. We too should have a say in the direction in which this young democracy should sail.

One can add to or disagree with my proposal but one thing is for sure, we cannot continue this way. Voice your opinion.

Bienvenido Richardson