Svobodna Dnevnik

[Hadash]

El Correo Internacional

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Mordvania passes Constitutional Reform
By: Polina Lamparska
Published: Fein 28, 1582


Mordvanian voters passed an important constitutional reform

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Mordvanian voted in a wide-ranging referendum, approving three of the four constitutional changes which had previously being discussed and passed by both houses of the Mordvanian Parliament. The main reforms were backed by President of Republican Council Bogdan Privsek and the main opposition political parties, although several of those political forces were divided in some minors questions.

Mordvanian voters were asked four questions which, if the four had been passed, had changed 29 constitutional articles, changing significantly the country's political system. The first question asked about the competences of both the Republican Council (national government) and the Assembly Representatives (Lower House of the Mordvanian parliament) enlarging the powers of the Assembly and effectively giving the parliament the power to choose the national government (currently that power belonged to the Council of Defense, although the constitution established that the Chairman (head of state) should take into account the composition of the parliament). The second question reformed the competences of both the national government and the local councils (voyvodeships) in a more balanced and lesser ambiguous way, and expanded some social rights.

The third question -considered the most important reform in the Constitution- deeply reformed the role of the Council of Defense. Established at the beginning of the Republican Revolution of 1565-1566, the military-led Council of Defense serves as guardian of the constitution, which large powers on foreign policy and national security. Althoug the Chairman of the Council of Defense (head of state of the Republic of Mordvania) was elected by universal suffrage, several constitutional articles de facto limited the candidates to those with a military background. Since 1566, the Chairman of the Council of Defense was Bozidar Strnad, who was reelected in the 1570 and 1577 elections. The electoral reform replaces the Chairman of the Council of Defense with a President of the Republic of Mordvania, who will have a relatively ceremonial role (at least compared with the original constitutional text), and elected democratically with less demanding constitutional requisites.

Although some opposition forces such as the Coalition of Constitutional Forces proposed the abolition of the Council of Defense, the final constitutional reform will keep its existence as a mostly advisory council to the Ministry of Defense, losing all its executive power although retaining some informal political influence.

The fourth question asked Mordvanian voters to remove some constitutional restrictions to the electoral law, allowing the Mordvanian Parliament to change the electoral laws without the need of a constitutional reform. The President of the Republican Council Bogdan Privsek had hinted that he would favour a mixed electoral system, which would reward the most voted political parties while establishing a large number of uninominal electoral district, which was expected to increase the influence of minority and multi-ethnic parties such as the Coalition of Constitutional Forces. The reform would have also reduce the influence and power of the Upper House, the Chamber of Deputies, which members are drawn from representatives of the local government. However, the Republican Social Radical Party, and at a lesser extent the far-left United Progressive Socialist Party opposed such reforms.

The turnout was relatively low, about 58.9%, and Mordvanian voters approved the first, second and third constitutional reforms (by a 81%; 88%; and 58%, respectively) while they rejected the fourth question, voting 48.9% for and 51.1% against.

The reforms will enter into force through different phases, which would be revised and overseen by the Constitutional Court. The articles reformed by the second question will enter into force immediately, while those affecting mostly the first question will be on Septem 20, a day before the planned national elections. The reform of the Council of Defense will be done more gradually, with the Council of Defense transfering several powers and competences to the Republican Council (mostly to the ministries of Defense, Republican Affairs and National Security) between Septem 20 and the end of the current year. The Council of Defense will keep some minor competences and the Chairman of the Council of Defense will retain the official position of head of state until 1 Ochtyr 1584, when Presidential elections will be held for first time, and a President of the Republic elected by universal suffrage.

Chairman of the Council of Defense Bozidar Strnad congratulated the Mordvanian people and the civil society for months of "constructive and civic debate...and the elected representatives" for a "smoothly constitutional reform" which will strengthen the republicans institutions and values...of the "Mordvanian Constitution", in an official statement. The Council of Defense surprisingly remained away for the constitutional reform and political discussions, although it played a secondary role through some state-owned media and, some observers claim, informal discussions behind the shadows with several political forces. Strnad, 52, who promised in 1577 that he would not attempt to be reelected Chairman of the Council of Defense for a third time, has remained silent about if he could be considering running for President of the Republic of Mordvania in 1584.

Mordvanian to called to vote again in two months for the National Elections, which will elect candidates for the Assembly of Representatives, the Lower House of the Parliament. The electoral campaign will officially start in three weeks, and Bogdan Privsek's Mordvanian Republican Party remains the favourite.