Parliamentarism a Good Thing for Ukraine?
June 9, 2009 – 11:27 amhttp://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2009/6/9/96178.htm
Andreas Umland’s support for parliamentarism is backed by the majority of Western political scientists.
This is what Andreas wrote to me last week:
Professor Robert Elgie and political researcher Sophia Moestrup edited the collected volume Semi-Presidentialism in Central and Eastern Europe
(Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2008) containing research papers by specialists on post-Soviet institutional design and performance in Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine. Elgie’s and Moestrup’s book confirms earlier studies concerning the political system that Ukraine inherited when acquiring independence 1991. Reviewing the results of the country case studies by the various specialists on Central-Eastern Europe, Elgie and Moestrup conclude that, Œwhere semi-presidentialism did have an impact [Š], then more often than not its effect was somewhat negative, or at least unhelpful to the democratisation process. [Š] [T]he unhelpful impact of semi-presidentialism was particularly clear in the case of highly presidentialised semi-presidentialism (like Ukraine had until 2005) and the balanced presidential-prime ministerial semi-presidentialism (as Ukraine had from 2006)¹ (p. 257). The editors concluded that, Œif democracy is fragile, then semi-presidentialism of any form is probably best avoided¹ (p. 257).
Andreas Umland
3 Responses to “Parliamentarism a Good Thing for Ukraine?”
If Ukraine wishes to be part of Europe then it should adopt European models and Parliamentary system of governance.
25 out of 27 EU member states are governed by a Parliamentary System. (France is a semi Presidential-Parliamentary and Cyprus is a Presidential system given the opportunity France would abandon its Presidential system)
In fact a vast majority of the so called Demeocratoic Western nations are Parliamentary democracies. Why not Ukriane? Had Ukraine abandoned the Soviet Presidential system as did the other form er soviet states that are now members of the EU, Ukraine would most likely be a EU member state by now.
In 2007 the PACE when considering the then standoff between Yushchenko and the Parliament recommended in no uncertain terms that Ukraine consider becoming a full Parliamentary democracy.
Yushchenko’s proposed constituional reforms would see Ukraine revert back to a Presidential Autorcacy where absolute power is invested in the hands of the President with powers of the parliament severely restricted..
Power corrupts and Absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Those who support Yushchenko should ask themselves would they support a return to presidential authority under Yanukovych or any other candidate not to their liking?
Democracy is not perfect but it is the best alternative we have?
Ukraine needs to accept collective responsibility for its own governance and a parliamentary system better represents true democratic values.
Ukraine needs to decide, does it want to embrace European Standards and European models and a Parliamentary system or revert back to a system of Presidential dominance?
Once this question is resolved then it need to consider how best to constitute a true democratic structure that best reflects and represents Ukraine’s diverse constituency and deliver stable representative governance?
A model with local multi-member constituencies would best meet this criteria. Each electorate must provide equal representation and equal number of constituents (+/- 5%).
50 (or 40)local electorates electing nine member of parliament each by a system of Proportional representation – Single Transferable vote (STV) with a 10% quota using the Meeks method of counting the vote.
By UkrToday on Jul 21, 2009
After reading your post i agree with you that”Power corrupts and Absolute power corrupts absolutely”,but i will more decide after knowing the suggetion of others.
By r4 ds on Nov 6, 2009
More on Yushchenko’s proposed removal of democracy and constitutional change
http://ucc.wordpress.com
By UkrToday on Nov 7, 2009