Within days we will know the outcome of regional elections in Catalonia, after many months in the media of communication, or not make good predictions for a color change in the government policy of the Generalitat. No one expects miracles. No one expects major changes. In fact, I think only a minority of the population knows what pending the outcome of next Sunday (lighter it has a majority of Monday's game). It will live an election in an atmosphere full of disappointment, seasoned with a dose of skepticism and a serious lack of illusion. Rarely does a political party may get as much (At percentage) with so little (absolute score). And what I find most disappointing: the participation promises to be less than four years ago (already, low (56.04%)), so that Parliament is constituted and the resulting government will have less explicit legitimacy (and more legitimate passive). All polls predict a resounding "punishment vote" for PSC and ERC, second and third most voted party in 2006, would lose an important part of representatives in the Parliament, and a wide comfortable victory CiU which has many numbers to invest their candidate as the next President de la Generalitat. But Sunday's results can be a real wealth of nonsense: the PSC may take the worst results ever, but the irony of all is that CiU too. It is still surprising that, for those doing the numbers, they are the favorite for this election, it has surpassed one million votes in 6 of the 8 previous parliamentary elections, according to the surveys can approach the absolute majority less than 800,000 votes (negative record of a match winner, in 1980, is 752,000 votes.) The message goes on to say that "we will punish the main party in government, but not like the alternative." And yet apparently somewhat incongruous, the reaction which can lead to abstention is to get more power and influence a game with less popular support than normal.
I think one of the major handicaps of our democracy is the lack of education and considerable political ignorance. And when I say "ignorance" I do not mean simply to ignore the performance, if only in part, of political structures or the political system itself. There are forms of political participation beyond going to vote, many of which are underused and ignored by a significant percentage of the population (including he can not vote.) Thus it is difficult there is a high degree of knowledge of what is politics (in particular) and occurring real citizen involvement in the development and implementation of public policies. You can blame it on the public institutions, of course, but I think some of the blame also lies with many members of society that lives in the comfort of being represented and thereby allowed the luxury of ignoring entirely the public affairs and / or groups (except where a particular problem).
Regarding the electoral system, even today many people do not distinguish between abstention and white vote. And the difference is significant. Blank votes are "valid votes" and counted in the total percentages, not vote abstention counts as a relatively discredited data but has no impact on the distribution of parliamentary seats (these are shared equally and parliamentarians have no fewer features or charge less because participation is low and vice versa). The same applies to spoiled ballots, do not count. Therefore, in times of disappointment, "white vote is for something?. Much more than not voting, for sure.
The arithmetic D'Hondt system (system of distribution of seats as the valid votes that each party) indirectly gives a modest white paper to vote (like voting for small parties that never make representation). May cause harm to the majority party and minority parties. On the one hand, a massive white vote majority party complicates the standard rate of votes throughout the district (territory), by making it difficult (not prevent) that this party can get an absolute majority. A smaller share, the absolute majority is more accessible; greater participation, albeit with a lot of blank votes, more "face" is to get it. This makes the distribution of the last seats (Counted more than 98%) is most exciting.
small parties with something similar happens. The minimum percentage of total valid votes for representation in parliament is 3%. With low participation, that 3% is achieved with a smaller number of votes. If, for example, followers of a rock star form a political party and will vote when disenchanted society does not, much less participation, is likely to reach that 3% simply voting her fan club. In fact, something allowed to and its candidate CORI Ariel Santamaria (who is usually dressed as Elvis Presley) to obtain representation in the city of Reus. And, if participation is as low as expected, the arithmetic logic is that games can allow Solidarity, or Platform Reagrupament per Catalunya (stating that the quote together for their vote potential close that 3%, not because I consider that "are the same") are represented in parliament with a total number of votes in other elections, would be by far insufficient to ensure a seat. I gather that, according to voter turnout that has, there will be excitement in the counting of votes for these candidates to determine whether they fall or are not their representatives in Parliament and at the cost of which party they will.
anything change this?. It is understandable that there is some skepticism about it. As I said before, the signs are not very encouraging. However, I believe that democracy is not something that we have given so handsome we are. After all, many people played the guy in favor of it. I think we've settled so we do not value it enough so it gives us. And therefore, I am partial to participate even a little, since it is clear that for many voters this will not be important to win (as would Coubertin. Perhaps they'll leave for Barcelona-Madrid). Are all politicians the same? Well, where the champion who, instead of waiting patiently at home the arrival of a new "messiah" is ready to prove that there may be better?
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