Adzhatian parliamentary election, 2013

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On Saturday 6 July 2013, a snap parliamentary election was held in Adzhatia to elect the 115 proportionally elected members of the Adzhatian parliament, the Dume. This was the 9th parliamentary election of this kind since Adzhatia's independence. Polling stations opened at 8 AM local time and closed at 6 PM.

Adzhatian parliamentary election, 2013
6 July 2013
115 of the 142 seats of the Dume
1st party 2nd party 3rd party
Leader Ŕanije Erijeź Ŕedian Bŏcaneź Bohatiŕ Ŭććaŕa
Party Secializdźiś A.V.Ŏ.D. N.K.P.
Before election 30 (22 + 8) 23 (19 + 4) 31 (30 + 1)
After election 55 (47 + 8) 25 (21 + 4) 22 (21 + 1)
Change +25 +2 -9
4th party 5th party 6th party
Leader Jukka Bantak Lere Baśćŏt Ħarman Ćĕrðanei
Party Ĕrevi Śviveź Trŏśtan Frentciŕ Bloc-Ħĭnzei
Before election 12 (12 + 0) 11 (8 + 3) 18 (13 + 5)
After election 9 (9 + 0) 8 (5 + 3) 8 (3 + 5)
Change -3 -3 -10

Background

Referencearrow.png Main Article: Politics of Adzhatia

Early elections for the 115 proportionally divided seats of the Dume were called by the government coalition parties of Secializdźiś, AVŎD and Bloc-Ħĭnzei to end the situation in the Dume that the coalition only had a majority of half a seat (71 of 141). Although Bloc-Ħĭnzei is doing badly in opinion polls, the party agreed to early elections rather than wait until the coalition would loose a vote in the Dume. The current division of seats would make it impossible to form another fruitful government. Some opposition parties have protested against the snap elections, the Trŏśtan Frentciŕ, accusing the government parties of 'gambling' with the democratic rights of the Adzhatians.

The majority of only half a seat was created in 2012, when several members of Bloc-Ħĭnzei, AVŎD and PŎA left those parties to form the right-wing Trŏśtan Frentciŕ (Thursday Front).

Electoral system

The 142 members of the Dume are elected in two stages: 115 members are elected by proportional representation every four years at maximum. This part of the Dume can be dissolved before the end of its term by either itself or by the country's president. Since Adzhatian governments are normally coalition governments of two or more parties, the premature end of such a coalition may lead to the dissolution of the Dume, although it is possible to create a new coalition government.

The other 27 members of the Dume are elected through regional representation by means of the Single Transferable Vote system, which is used in countries such as Ireland as well. Those elected remain members of the Dume for four years, until the next regional elections. They cannot be re-elected, nor will they be replaced when they die. They can however be severely fined if they choose to discontinue their active membership.

Although political parties (especially the larger ones) operate also on regional level, there are some local parties or individuals that participate in the elections for the 27 regional seats. Currently there are two local parties represented in the Duma, both with one seat.

Death of Aliksandeŕ Dućiń

On 12 November 2011, hardly a week before the elections of 19 November 2011, MP Aliksandeŕ Dućiń (Secializdźiś) died in a car accident. As he was elected through regional representation in the elections of 25 September 2010, this means that his seat will remain vacant until the elections of 27 September 2014 (temporarily reducing the amount of regional seats to 26) and that Secializdźiś effectively have lost one seat.

Parties and results

The deadline for parties to register to participate in the elections was 31 May. Fifteen parties were accepted by the election committee.

Leaders and prime minister candidates

The leaders of all major parties are also their candidates for the post of prime minister, except Secializdźiś, who have endorsed incumbent prime minister Eigĕń Hameen, who is also a member of the Secializdźiś.

Polls

According to several polls, the election will be contested by the communist NKP (currently the largest party, but in opposition), the social-democratic Secializdźiś and the liberal-democratic AVŎD. Bloc-Ħĭnzei, the party of former president and prime minister Ereh Ħĭnzei, is doing badly in the polls and may loose more than half of its current seats.

Exit poll and election night

The first exit poll reported a land slide victory for Secializdźiś and a dramatic loss for Bloc-Ħĭnzei. The communist NKP too lost several seats; according to analysts mainly because the party has been mostly invisible in the last year and a half, despite being the largest party in the previous Dume. During the election night, Bloc-Ħĭnzei's loss ended up around 10 seats, which is more than half of the amount of seats they had in the previous Dume. Former party leader and founder Ereh Ħĭnzei couldn't be reached for comments during the entire evening, and several party members told the press that they got the impression that he gave up on them.

Although it was clear at the beginning of the evening that Secializdźiś had won this election, Secializdźiś leader Ŕanije Erijeź only appeared shortly before midnight, thanking the Adzhatian people for giving her party its vote of confidence once again and she promised to make a very large effort 'to get this country going', referring to the large amount of parliamentary elections and subsequent government changes Adzhatia has known for the last ten years. AVŎD leader Ŕedian Bŏcaneź had already appeared before his fellow party members shortly before Erijeź held her speach. By now, it was confirmed that the liberal-democratic party would gain two seats instead of losing one, as the first exit poll had suggested. The only other party to win a seat was the Green Party (DZ-P); most other parties, including Ĕrevi Śviveź, lost seats in favour of Secializdźiś.

Parties and results

The following fifteen parties registered to participate in the election.

Name Name in English Ideology Leader Seats 21/5/2012 Seats 18/7/2013 Change
Secializdźiś Socialists socialist, socialdemocratic Ŕanije Erijeź (f) 30 (22 + 8) 55 (47 + 8) +25
Adźać Valteźiś Ŏdźa Demokradźiś Liberal Democrats of the Adzhatian State liberal-democratic Ŕedian Bŏcaneź 23 (19 + 4) 25 (21 + 4) +2
Năve Komunistiće Partića New Communist Party communist Bohatiŕ Ŭććaŕa 31 (30 + 1) 22 (21 + 1) -9
Ĕrevi Śviveź Friends of Europe centre-left, pro-European Jukka Bantak 12 (12 + 0) 9 (9 + 0) -3
Trŏśtan Frentciŕ Thursday Front conservative, populist Lere Baśćŏt (f) 11 (8 + 3) 8 (5 + 3) -3
Bloc-Ħĭnzei List-Ħĭnzei conservative, semi-nationalist Ħarman Ćĕrðanei 18 (13 + 5) 8 (3 + 5) -10
Dzalităm Partića Party of the Greens environmentalist Igoŕ Beigiŕ 2 (2 + 0) 3 (3 + 0) +1
Partića Demokratićai Adźaciai Party for a Democratic Adzhatia centre-right, christian Ăŕva Kermanat 4 (1 + 3) 3 (0 + 3) -1
Partića Ŏdźai Adźaciai Party for a Free Adzhatia social liberal Orez Măŕei (f) 2 (2 + 0) 2 (2 + 0) +/- 0
Pjotarśŭniće Partića1 Pjotarśŭnist Party communist Slava Ustić 4 (4 + 0) 2 (2 + 0) -2
Śăĺveź hă Saħe Order and Justice right-wing christian Vladimiŕ Ćverħićek 1 (1 + 0) 1 (1 + 0) +/- 0
Iństătciŕ Gleŕiă Adźaciai Association for a Glorious Adzhatia nationalist Rŭðe Matuś-Iŕańak (f) 1 (1 + 0) 1 (1 + 0) +/- 0
Monarħiaisa Drejzeńćciŕ Forum for the Monarchy monarchist Śvein Ăha 0 0 +/- 0
Maltai Partića Party for Prayer christian Ćĕnza Ŕiveiźa 0 0 +/- 0
Năve Seciaĺdemokratiće Partića New Socialdemocratic Party social-democratic Luka Hijeŕ 0 0 +/- 0

1 This party changed its name before the elections; it was known as Oi Vŭo Mihelun Pjotarśŭnin ('We want Miheĺ Pjotarśŭn'), referring to the former president, who died however last year.

Campaign and issues

The economic situation in Adzhatia and how to improve it remains a hot topic among politicians, although polls indicate that the people are only partly interested in the subject themselves; a lot of people don't expect the future government to be able to solve problems like the climbing poverty rate and the unstable financial situation of many more Adzhatian citizens and are trying on their own to find different ways to make ends meet.

Many are more interested in the parties' opinions on foreign policy. The Friends of Europe party ĔŚ is hoping for votes of the apparently many Adzhatians that wish their country to join the European Union, but the party is still recovering from the 2011 scandal in which a riot in the prison of Kusk was ended by executing several rioters, in the cover-up of which the then minister of justice and ĔŚ party leader, ms. Galine Pańńiub-Koka, appeared to have participated.

Aftermath

The new Dume will be installed on Thursday 18 July 2013.