Forget about primaries, they want closed lists as well.
One the one hand, the importance of limiting a politician to serving in only one elected position at a time, should be obvious to even the least interested, but it would need to be coupled with term limits as well in order to stop politicians developing a career out of public service (self aggrandizement is a powerful lure).
What’s most troublesome in the ”electoral system shake up” is the suggestion that parties will have more control over the candidates people will be able to vote for. Already they exact an amazing amount of control over their parties. They pick who can run for election, exert a top down ”play by the rules or you’re out” mentality in parliamentary votes, and there is no primary system as in the American model by which the people can seek to exert control of (or at least challenge) the party.
This closed list system further removes the people from decision making processes. Not only are they be able to field candidates of their choosing, but the people’s vote only goes towards the party itself, they themselves choose who makes it into parliament. It’s a monopoly of the electoral system. Tyranny. I have a feeling that that is exactly the reason why it’s being proffered.
NOTE: Statism is a powerful elixir.
The closed list system allows parties to determine the order of their candidates in advance, asking voters to select a party slate to vote for without having any input into which candidates within the list might make it through.
Government looks to shake up electoral system
Finland could be set to change the electoral system, moving from a candidate-based election to a closed list system where parties have more power to decide who gets elected. The debate was prompted by a new tier of regional government to be introduced—and elected—as part of a reform of health and social care.
Elections to a new regional body set to be introduced as part of a health and social care reform could force a shake-up in Finland’s electoral system. The Justice Ministry has produced a background document on electoral systems that has been sent to parties for comments.
At present municipal and parliamentary elections are candidate-based, where people cast their votes for a candidate first and foremost. The candidates are ranked within their party list based on the number of votes they receive, and seats are distributed based on the total support received by the party or list.
The closed list system allows parties to determine the order of their candidates in advance, asking voters to select a party slate to vote for without having any input into which candidates within the list might make it through.
With new bodies set to be created and elected to implement the social and health care reform, the current government is taking the opportunity to look at all Finnish elections with fresh eyes.
Open discussion
“I hope that in the coming weeks we’ll have an open discussion and not just assume that candidate elections are best,” said Municipalities and Reform Minister Anu Vehviläinen. “If we make such a radical change to our electoral system, it would be good to consider every election at the same time. To consider which if any of our current elections might suit a list-based system.”
In the coming months the government is set to decide how the new bodies will be elected, including whether or not individuals should face limits on running for election to different bodies. At present people are able to sit as local councillors, MPs and MEPs all at the same time.
“There’s quite a big threshold in Finland for limiting a person’s rights to participate,” says Vehviläinen. “At least up to now it’s been a sacred principle that people can run in every election and the voters will decide who is elected. We should consider whether we want to limit that right.”
The new provincial elections will either be held in autumn 2017 or early 2018, in conjunction with the first round of that year’s presidential election.
