By Fiji Broadcasting Corporation
Published January 14th 2008 in Radio Fiji
The proportional representation system is the way to go for Fiji if the interim government wants to move towards the one-man one-vote system says deposed Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase.
Qarase says under the system all communities will be represented but representation will be proportional to their numbers in the total population.
“As far as I’m concerned that would be a better step forward than a big jump to the system of one- man- one vote because democracy should evolve.
“It is not something that should be imposed on the people without their active participation and without them being consulted by the government of the day,” he added.
Qarase’s comments came as he praised the one-man-one vote system proposed by the interim government for the next general election.
While saying it is good for the country, Qarase believes now is not the right time to implement it.
Qarase says under the system all communities will be represented but representation will be proportional to their numbers in the total population.
“As far as I’m concerned that would be a better step forward than a big jump to the system of one- man- one vote because democracy should evolve.
“It is not something that should be imposed on the people without their active participation and without them being consulted by the government of the day,” he added.
Qarase’s comments came as he praised the one-man-one vote system proposed by the interim government for the next general election.
While saying it is good for the country, Qarase believes now is not the right time to implement it.
Election Day '09 was a roller-coaster for election reformers. Instant runoff voting had a great night in Minnesota, where St. Paul voters chose to implement IRV for its city elections, and Minneapolis voters used IRV for the first time—with local media touting it as a big success. As the Star-Tribune noted in endorsing IRV for St. Paul, Tuesday’s elections give the Twin Cities a chance to show the whole state of Minnesota the benefits of adopting IRV. There were disappointments in Lowell and Pierce County too, but high-profile multi-candidate races in New Jersey and New York keep policymakers focused on ways to reform elections; the Baltimore Sun and Miami Herald were among many newspapers publishing commentary from FairVote board member and former presidential candidate John Anderson on how IRV can mitigate the problems of plurality elections.