This is How We do things in New Zealand

[Chelodia]

I will show you all how New Zealand politics work for those who don't know. Please comment freely on it's merits and/or failures.


In 1993 New Zealand adopted Mixed Member Proportional as its electoral system for the House of Representatives after many years of first-past-the-post.

The term of the Parliament is set at three years from its first sitting. This means that elections must be held within around three years, two months after the previous election (for instance the 2002 election was held on 27 July, the latest date the 2005 election could be held on was 24 September). Elections have historically been held in November or December, but this has fallen out of tradition.

The New Zealand electoral system is a two-tiered system. The lower tier determines the local representative. The upper, over-riding tier determines the proportionality of the House.

New Zealand voters have two votes. The main vote is the party vote. This vote determines the proportionality of the House, the upper tier of the electoral system. The other vote is the electorate vote for the lower tier. This determines the local representative within the House, and usually does not change the proportionality of the House. The electorate vote works as a plurality system, whereby whomever gets the highest vote in each electorate receives the seat.

Parties that receive either 5% of the party vote or one electorate seat are entitled to a share of the nominally 120 seats in the House of Representatives. The seats are allocated using the Sainte-Laguë method. If an independent candidate is elected, then the number of seats to be allocated falls to 119 (or 118 if two are elected, and so forth).

Parties then fill their seats. Seats are allocated firstly to electorate MPs. Then parties fulfil their remaining quota from their party list. If a party has more electorate MPs than proportional seats, then it receives an overhang. If the party does not have enough people on its list to fulfil its quota, then there is an underhang.

I also suggest you check out this page.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_House_of_Representatives


Deep regards to all, Chelodia

[The United Progressive Party]

That's really insightful, thanks. It's good to see NZ not using the stupid FPTP that we still use.

[San Juan Capital]

That's really interesting... a little weird from my political perspective... innovating indeed!

Lemme tell ya how it happens around here, in the Free Associated State of Puerto Rico. (aka "Commonwealth").

We have a partidocracy of three parties that represent three different ideologies. There's the Popular Democratic Party (Partido Popular Democrático PPD) New Progressive Party (Partido Nuevo Progresista PNP) and the Independentist/Nationalist Puerto Rican Party (Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño PIP).

The PPD constructed the Estado Libre Asociado (politically translated as "Commonwealth" by a series of reasons far compliocated for me to tell now.) They stand for autonomy, and tend to be liberal in political and social liberties, whilst maintaining a sort of social-democratic system.
Recently, the President of the Party favours the movement towards achieving the Associated Republic of Puerto Rico through a Constitutional Assembly. The President of the party normally is the candidate for the office of the Governour, the highest Executive of the 78-municipality (although they are really more alike provinces) of the archipielago. Since 2000, the Executive power has been on their hadns (by Sila María Calderón (2001-2005) and Aníbal Salvador Acevedo Vilá (2005-[2009?]).

The PNP is annexionist to the USA, wanting PR to be the State 51. They are VERY conservative, although they vary from far right (do not think it's fascistic, they're not nationalists)towards moderate views. Recently, the Party has fallen to the control of the far right of itself, conducting rather frequent verbal attacks not only to the PPD opposition, but really to anyone that comes against its president, even politicians inside the Party. They won the 2004 Elections in the Legislative Branch, but did not conquer the Executive Branch. Syne then, they have not let the government to advance much, allowing Puerto Rico to fall into recession (by not approving projects of the Excecutive - they control 62% of the House of Representatives). In the Senate, their ways of behaving led to the division of the party, the PPD gaining unofficially 6 senators towards their side (they call themselves the Authentics), which helped the Executive approving some of the Ministers he changed (he needs for most the approval of only the Senate.)

The PIP is the nationalistic movement. Electorally it garners some 5%, although many nationalists refuse to vote in what they call 'colonial elections', so the number is really greater. They have 1 Senator adn 1 Representative in every Legislative Branch of every Assembly of the Municipalities and of the National Parliament.

Puerto Rico is divided into 3 official Branches, with more than 100 Ministries in the Executive. There are 78 municipalities, each having its own executive and legislative branch.Some municipalities boast autonomy, being able to control itself more independently from the Central Government.

The National Electoral Organisation is a government organisation, composed by the delegates of the three parties. They choose a 'neutral' commissioner to rule over the Organisation. The organisation takes money of the Government, its funding must NEVER (by law) be smaller than the one a year before. It can't be taken out of the government, it regulates itself and its N° of employees. It has been described as a kinna 4th Branch of the Government, Rivalising Press at times.

The Law System and Measurement Systems are a mixture from Spanish, American and local systems. Laws from the Era of Spain still exist nowadays with little changes.

Every 4 years, in November the General Elections occur, Puerto Ricans elect 78 Parliamentarians (or more, if needed), the Governour, the Resident Commissioner to the Congress of the USA and 78 Mayors and 78 Assemblies...

I think that summarises our system.

[Sinn Féin's Ireland]

Wow. That's pretty cool. So you have nationalists who won't take part in colonial elections. That sounds familiar to me too For ages Sinn Féin didn't accept the Southern Dáil because it was seen as partitionist. Sinn Féin dropped abstentionism in 1986.

[San Juan Capital]

Indeed, I've studied some of Ireland's history, for the independentist faction likes to compare Puerto Rico with Costa Rica, Singapore, Ireland and some nations that are not big, but have a good economic prospect (generally speaking).

[Sinn Féin's Ireland]

I saw a great book in the shops the other day which i failed to buy as it cost over £30 ($60) which compared Irish Nationalism with that in other countries, and the state of Northern Ireland too. I think it may have used the example of Puerto Rica....

[San Juan Capital]

Do Tell?! Wow! Interesting, what's the name of the Book?

[Sinn Féin's Ireland]

Thats the annoying thing, i was at an open day and had like 2 minutes before i had to go! I can't remember the book's name. I think it is a new publication though.