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Social Democrats: Estonia may become a two-party nation

Indrek Saar, a Social Democrats, says that there is real danger that both Centre Party and Reform Party - want to give Estonia a two-party political system.

Both dream about dividing the Estonian political landscape between themselves, said Saar in an interview to Estonian Public Broadcasting Company ERR.

Saar who is vice chairman of the Estonian Social Democratic Party said that Social Democrats are determined to foil these attempts and win over voters who don't support right-wing parties nor Centre Party.

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"I believe that in the near future the public will understand that there are parties who fight for democratic principle and then there are parties whose aim is to centralise power and establish a two-party system," said Saar.

Saar said that he would divide the political landscape so that Reform Parrty and Centre Party are on the one side and all other political parties are on the other. "The key question is whether we want a broad-based democratic society .or a centralised society. I think that it is much more serious division than dividing parties into right-wing and left-wing parties," he aded.

Saar explained that this was also one reason why Social Democrats agreed to set up a coalition with Centre Party in the Tallinn City Council where .the Centrists have an absolute majority. "For the sake of democracy and transparency, it is best if there is also another party in the coalition with Centre Party," he said.

 

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A two-party-system? Where should it come from in a electoral system that is based on proportional representation? The only countries in the world with a comparable election system are Ireland (multi-party-system) and Malta (two-party-system).
But the circumstances in Malta are different to those in Estonia. Maltas political system was shaped by the UK and the people adapted the british system with some Maltesian clientelism.
The best way to create a two-party-system artificially is to change the electoral system into a system based on the majority vote, like in the UK (not France). But there are two aspects: 1.) There must be a majority in the Riigikogu for this and 2.) political institutions like the electoral system are difficult to change (path-dependcy)

Usually, political systems based on proportional representation are multi-party-systems. Saar seems to be more afraid of loosing the upcoming national elections.

A factual two party-system isnt the worst and not by itself undemocratic. Have a look at the US, the UK, Germany (until the late seventies).
~A tourist [16.11.2009, 12:13]
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