Parliamentary systems can cause electoral confusion. Voters in parliamentary elections do not get to directly vote for the executive. They vote for their local representative in the legislative. The executive is formed from the legislative based on being able to secure stable numbers to establish government.
Voters have to vote in their own interests. Do they vote in their legislative interests, or their executive interests? In the House it is a bit moot as the House is dominated by executive discipline and the Executive Cabinet is largely, though not entirely, formed from the House. In comparison voters tend to vote in their legislative interests in the Senate.
Sacha Blumen wrote a letter to the Star Observer on this issue.
This is where strong horizontal separation of powers is an asset. If the President was a completely separate branch of government from Parliament then there is no electoral confusion. You would be voting for the President (PM) directly on one ballot - in other words your executive electoral interest; while voting your legislative interests in the House and Senate on other ballot papers.
If we had complete separation of powers Sacha would not have had to put pen to paper.
Comments