NationStates Jolt Archive

From L'Actualitato

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The prime minister announced Wednesday the
creation of the Framework Committee on Electoral and
Political Reform. The committee will not, as originally
suspected, be a legislative (Ampolitant) organisation,
but rather an executive one that will use the Conagresso
di Sambuca as its headquarters.

PM announces creation of political and electoral reform organisation
Framework committee to call Sambuca home


Nezo Iera, L'Actualitato political correspondent

Prime Minister Fernando Chiovitti says the new Pacitalian government's so-called Timetable for Reform (TfR) is still being implemented on schedule despite worries -- apparently stoked by the Greens -- that the establishment of the primary controls on reform would be delayed until December, at the earliest.

"We are operating on schedule," Chiovitti said. "We have a large load of priorities to deal with as we handle the transfer of power, get our cabinet set up and running, and hold primary and secondary legislative sessions. We promised the launch of the committee within the first three weeks of the new government, and we have delivered it just nine days after being sworn in."

Chiovitti shocked deputies and senators by announcing that the new reform body would not be legislative, but rather executive, using a private building as its headquarters instead of the New Prado's main chamber. That building is the busy Conagresso di Sambuca, which has a main auditorium with a seating capacity of 115,430 and a stage to handle a speakers' podium and the "long table", where the senior council will sit and direct each session.

Chiovitti's new reform committee will, instead of directly fielding questions during parliamentary sessions, use consultory process via representatives sent by those parties to speak at the Conagresso. Therefore, Chiovitti's method still involves legislators but restricts their activity to a more indirect form, and, as Chiovitti claims, "allows the general public -- concerned citizens, academics, and others -- more access and more opportunity to share ideas on an individual level, instead of going through their MPP or Senator and having that idea lost in the in-tray".

But the opposition was definitely not buying it.

"I'm a bit confused by this," Green leader Neros Constantakis chipped in. "I really expected full legislative cooperation on this issue, and I understand the desire to involve the public as much as possible, but why shut out the legislators in doing so? It just doesn't make sense."

"The prime minister promised direct legislative involvement," said an irritated and incensed Aria Speranza, NPA leader. "It's unfair to those who campaigned on the platform of reforming our democracy, and really undermines the reasons why we elect a parliament."

But the PSC's coalition partner, the FPD, had some harsh words for Speranza and anyone that was attempting to step off the reform bandwagon over what they called "one detail in a series".

"We can judge the way it was run after it's all said and done," interim leader Albinanda Serodini said. "The opposition is not even giving the committee a chance to succeed, and they have forgotten that what really matters is the results. I am still confident the committee will be successful in its goals."

Agustinates Fiadono Nemassore (A.LJ, PSC) and Athena Onassis (A.IP, FPD) were given consultant positions within the new committee and will serve as a second channel of discussion between the legislators and the new organisation. Meanwhile, the two deputy prime ministers, Diego Zuna (S, PSC) and Fiorenza Neroglianta (J, FPD), will also serve as consultants in addition to sitting on the senior council.

The committee will be chaired by longstanding academic and democratist Dr Valentino Massonetra, who is widely supportive of the reform ideas advocated by former prime minister Dr Timotaio Ell back in 2001. It was already widely assumed the new committee would follow many of those principles in guiding the creation of a new political and electoral system for Pacitalia.

The FCR will hold its preliminary sessions starting Friday, and going all of next week. The public is invited to attend, as Dr Massonetra will reportedly be giving a keynote speech on the intended direction of the council and committee.

From Tempo Passo

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Electoral and Political Reform Framework Committee president
Dr Valentino Massonetra walks down a Sambuca street with senior
deputy prime minister Diego Zuna on Tuesday afternoon, hours
before he presented the committee's findings and overall
recommendations to the government.

EPRFC: Unitary system best for Pacitalia
Committee advocates separation of powers, checks and balances, amendment of national-provincial structure


Giorgio Namurado Serra, Tempo Passo political contributor, Sambuca

Calling Pacitalian federalism "restrictive to the growth of democracy in the country", and arguing against so-called "neofederalism", the Electoral and Political Reform Framework Committee presented its published findings to senior deputy prime minister Diego Zuna at the focus group's closing session Tuesday. Committee president Dr Valentino Massonetra provided copies of the 1,339-page report to the assembled media. He called the report "the first step forward in revitalising Pacitalian democracy and asserting [Pacitalia's] place as an international leader in democratic thought and philosophical progress".

The report, Solutions for Democratic Renewal, asserts that in general, federalism is on the way out, but in particular, that it has restricted the growth of political and theoric diversity in Pacitalia. It says that democracy has become brittle under the increase in federalist bureaucracy at both federal and provincial levels, and advocates the phasing out of federalism as a way of slowing, and eventually, reversing the harmful effects of the federation system.

The committee also came out strongly against the implementation of neofederalism, a process in which states are divided into administrative subdivisions by race, or common economic or social needs, rather than by geography. Solutions says "as much of the country is equally prosperous, affluent and nurtured, there is no need to divide along such demography". Instead, the report advocates unitary statism, saying that traditionally small-government Pacitalia will "greatly benefit from the integration and systematisation of Pacitalian governmental power at the national level".

The report finishes by advocating eight major points of restructuring for the Pacitalian system to either "strengthen democracy or lessen the bureaucracy".

The separation of the positions of head of state and head of government: A new president-like figure would assume the duties of the head of state in a unitary republic while the prime minister would remain the head of the government. The leader of the political party with the best average percentage of seats in both houses would become prime minister, while the head of state would be elected through candidacy primaries and runoff votes.
An increase in the number of seats in both houses of legislation: The report advises a total of at least 1200 seats in the lower house and at least 400 in the upper house.
The creation of an "Administration", with four positions dedicated to social oversight, financial oversight, public safety and governmental ethics, to form a check-and-balance between the legislative and executive branches.
Increased coordination and cooperation between the legislature, the executive, government agencies and external organisations.
Nomination of the cabinet by PM subject to the approval of the legislature.
Election of the chief magistrates for the National Supreme Court (NSC) and the National Appellate Court (NAC).
The reformation of the sixteen provinces into apertures (similar to regions of the country), with 96 departments, six in each aperture.
Subsequently, the reformation of the administration of those apertures into elected presidents with similarly elected councils.


The senior deputy prime minister was highly pleased with the results.

"The expediency, the dedication and the willingness of this group has made us all proud to be Pacitalians," Diego Zuna said after receiving the report. "It is not a hasty step in a new direction. This has all been carefully considered, weighing history with tradition, democracy and freedom with progress, and this committee was well aware of the ramifications for this country, providing an incorrect recommendation had been made. They have been thorough to the last letter on the last page, and I am quite pleased to accept it."

Prime Minister Fernando Chiovitti was originally supposed to accept the report in Sambuca but had to fly to Ajer to attend the funeral of Yaforite politician Josain Alanor. Instead, Zuna will submit the report for preliminary reading in Thursday's parliamentary sessions. The report will be due for second reading, and a vote, on Friday before, if passing, reaching the Senatoro on Monday.

Should the recommendations pass parliament and receive Chiovitti's national assent, Pacitalians could be facing an election under the new unitary system as early as February or March, following an education programme to teach voters the methodology of the new system. The PSC leads the FPD by an average 44 percent to 32, in three opinion polls published last week. Chiovitti's personal approval rating is 66.8 percent.

From La Repubblica Oggia

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The Constazione Ampoliticato Federali during
final reading of the Political Renewal Draft entered into
vote by senior deputy prime minister Diego Zuna.

Rebellious FPDers join with Greens, NPA to delay political reform
Zuna reportedly incensed at delays; cabinet members worry about procrastination over democratic renewal


Manti-Soratina Murana, Timiocato

Arguing that the Electoral and Political Reform framework committee (EPRFC) "moved far too quickly and with unnerving haste" in delivering recommendations on political renewal to the federal government, one hundred and seventy FPD coalition partners joined the Green and NPA conclaves in delaying a final vote, scheduled for 1100 Friday morning, on the 1,339-page report.

Leading the charge was Green leader Neros Constantakis, who introduced counter-legislation blocking a vote on the issue and rescheduling it for next Friday at the earliest, allowing Pacitalia's lower house and its Constitutional Affairs task force more time to analyse the report. His request outlined the unease among minor parties that the committee "moved hastily in order to keep to the [Timetable for Reform] strategy, trying to keep contentness within the government, and failing to consider whether or not the end product would even benefit Pacitalian society and its people".

Constantakis clarified his party "was not necessarily in opposition to the recommendations, but merely concerned about the speed of implementation and consideration".

A handful of PSC cabinet officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said they felt the majority of FPDers supported the delay "because of their in-house issues", and that they "likely" wanted to get their leadership convention -- being held this weekend in Rado di Fungiati -- out of the way before looking at the framework committee's recommendations.

"They were not happy with the timing of [Dr Massonetra]'s recommendations," one source said. "They saw it as a subtle, and sneaky, political move on the part of the PSC and the committee, trying to keep the FPD subservient and distracted within the partnership, so they needed a way to fire one right back."

It was likely the FPD would have proposed the same thing today, the source added, but Constantakis "beat them to the punch", hurrying to rally FPDers on the other side.

Counterlegislations attempting to delay major proposals require 35 percent support in the lower house to pass. With 170 FPD, 45 NPA and 44 Greens, the total number added up to 259, or a sliver above 40 percent support. As mentioned, now that this counterlegislation has passed, there will now be an analysis done by the Constitutional Affairs Task Force in the lower house, along with further debate and reading of the recommendations in order to determine whether or not the Political Renewal Draft should pass to the Senatoro.

Senior deputy prime minister Diego Zuna, who was fully in support of the proposed recommendations, was presenting the draft in place of prime minister Fernando Chiovitti, who is now in Ajer attending the funeral of Yaforite politician Josain Alanor. After Thursday's readings the Draft looked to be on pace to pass the Friday morning vote, but Zuna was surprised and, reportedly, extremely irritated with the Green-led soft blockage Friday morning.