Svobodna Dnevnik

[Hadash]

El Correo Internacional

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Mordvania: Ruling coalition suffers defeat in national elections
By: Elena Manstein
Published: Septem 24, 1585


Mordvanian President Zvezdana Serebryak.

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The President of the Republican Council Bogdan Privsek is likely to lose power, after the Republican Coalition was defeated in the seventh Mordvanian national election since 1567. The Republican Coalition, formed only one year ago, it is an electoral coalition formed by Privsek's Mordvanian Republican Party and the Republican Liberal Party - both parties under a coalition government since 1579. The coalition was established in order to improve the changes of the coalition to stay in power but, rather the contrary, the Mordvanian Republican Party obtained their worst result since 1567.

The national election resulted in a hung parliament, with merely a distance of six points between the four most voted political forces. As a whole, the parliament shifted toward a left-leaning majority, although the new government will be likely the result of complicated negotiations. The first legislative elections since the election of Zvezdana Serebryak as first President of the Republic of Mordvania, the president is expected to play an important role in the negotiations, although the 1582 constitutional reform considerably decreased the role of head of state over the parliament and executive.

Lavika Coalition, an electoral coalition established by the United Progressive Socialist Party, the Equality Party, the Mordvanian Communist Party and other left-wing organizations, obtained 25.6% of the vote and 156 representatives of 599. Vladislav Kozina, General Secretary of the United Progressive Socialist Party since 1583 and Lavika Coalition candidate, will try to form a left-wing coalition government, but he himself has declared that it will be "a tough task, but required to the well-being and progress of the country". The Lavika Coalition campaigned against many of the reforms of Privsek's government, and promised to increase the minimum wage and social spending.

The Republican Coalition obtained 23.2% and 142 representatives, a combined loss of ninety-six seats by the coalition government, which makes highly unlikely that the current government could continue in power. Bogdan Privsek offered the formation of an "All-Republican government", which may include the Republican Coalition, the Republican Democratic Party and even the Republican Social Radical Party, but such ideologically diverse coalition government is unlikely considering the differences between those parties on issues going from fiscal policy, administrative reforms, social spending or taxation.

The Republican Social Radical Party, a left-republican political party, obtained 21.9% and 134 seats. The Republican Social Radical Party was already in a coalition government with President Zvezdana Serebryak's United Progressive Social Party from 1573 to 1579, but it is unclear if that will be possible. Since last year, the Republican Social Radical Party is led by Jakob Vurnik, 50, Voyvode of Slawowo, which is consider to belong to the most moderate branch of the party. During the electoral campaign, Vurnik declared several times that a coalition government with Serebryak's political party should be considered as a given, and that the party may explore other options, as supporting a minority government.

The Coalition of Constitutional Forces (ZDU-KDK), a centrist coalition formed by several liberal and ethnic political parties was fourth, obtaining 19.9% and 121 seats, their best result since the coalition was established in 1572. The ZDU-KDK candidate, Alenka Levstik, former Minister of Commerce and Communications, hopes that the coalition will be influential enough in the negotiations. Levstik declared that the coalition may consider all options except supporting a government including the Lavika Coalition, which Levstik said that her coalition considers "too radical ideologically...and contrary to the interests of the citizens of this country". Levstik hinted that they may try to convince the Mordvanian Republican Party to support a Republican Social Radical Party minority government, with   the condition that the Lavika Coalition does not join the government but later she answered that "may be only an option". She declared that they predict the negotiations to be tough and long, but that her coalition is prepared to seek the best option for the interests of the country.

The Bunesgan People's Party, a Bunesgan nationalist political party, obtained 4.6% and 28 seats. The Bunesgan People's Party gained 8 seats compared to 1582, but still short of their best results in the 1570s. The Bunesgan People's Party has a proposal of electoral reform and a path toward Bunesgan independence as main (and only) political demands, and it is unlikely that they end supporting any Mordvanian government.

The Radical Democratic Party, a center-left republican party, obtained 3.1% and 18 seats. Although the Radical Democratic Party was able to remain in the Mordvanian parliament by merely a few thousand votes, they may be a decisive political force during the negotiations. The Radical Democratic Party is led by Bronislawa Smieszawska, and it was founded in 1574 as a split from the Republican Social Radical Party.

It has been confirmed that President Zvezdana Serebryak will meet tomorrow Vladislav Kozina, officially starting the negotiations for a new President of the Republican Council, as the head of government is officially known in the Republic of Mordvania.