Referenum in Romania on single voting system

http://www.neurope.eu/articles/79354.php

Quote :

Romanian President Traian Basescu signed a decree on October 23 after a day of consultations with his advisers, over the question Romanians are being called to answer at the Referendum - “Do you agree to elect all the Deputies and Senators in constituencies subject to a majority ballot in two rounds, starting with the first elections to be organised for Parliament?” This is the question that the Romanians will have to answer YES or NO to.

How I hate Polish politicians , now it is Romania that we need learn from. This system make political parties weaker and voice of the voters stronger. Also it reduces need for useless coalitions (an usual excuse of politicians why they failed realize pre-election promises).

I am not into this topic fully so I don't know the details exactly, but as for what I heard, Hungarians' strength will weaken again if this referendum wins.

Perhaps but your are looking at this case from very specific perspective. How strong voice of Hungarian minority will be it depends from how Romanians divide election districts. From districts with Hungarian majority this would be almost certain Hungarian candidate victory.

However you should also look at this problem from opposite side. Romanian nationalists would be probably completely excluded from the parliament. Their voters rather for sure in every possible election district won't consist majority. There will be always more Romanians whom prefer more moderate Romanians parties.

Romanians voted in favor of Basescu propositions (about 89% YES, 11% NO). At least those who attended, because referendum is invalid because of low turnout. Only about 30% voted why over 50% were needed. This is all about democracy! To have such opportunity and waste it, this is utter stupidity. The sad true is that majority is always ignorant and this will never change.

I read first hand report of Polish supporters of this solution. they visited Romania and with help of their Romanian colleges could observe referendum and ask few questions to their hosts. Basically Romanian goverment did everything to don't inform people about the referendum. Unfortunately bureaucracy succeed once again. In the same day they held also election to European parliament. Imagine that both event were held in DIFFERENT polling stations with different election commissions. Of course traditional election buildings were destined for EURO-elections while referendum was pushed to some basements with little information about it. As Romanian president stated after the results were announced the first time in his life he heard how politicians advocated people to stay at home and abandon supposed patriotic obligation of voting.

What is more Romanian goverment announced before that they will do single election districts no matter what is the result of referendum. This messed up the subject, because goverment proposal was much worse than these from presidential office. However goverment intentionally named their proposal in the same way how president Basescu named his own. This caused additional mess, some probably confused about all of this preferred to stay at home because they thought that both president of goverment had the same goal.

Sad thing that those ignorant uninterested who stayed at home are decider in favor of powerful as we see bureaucracy.

http://jow.pl/?q=node/192 (link to the story for Polish readers)