Difference between revisions of "Pacitalian general election, October 2006"

Revision as of 17:29, 14 October 2006

112th federal general election

Country	Pacitalia
Type	Federal election
Incumbent party	Federation of Progressive Democrats
Balloting date	16th October, 2006
Latest poll	PSC 35.5, FPD 35.1, ABM/Capax (13-Oct-2006)

The 112th federal general election is scheduled to occur nationwide in the Democratic Capitalist Republic of Pacitalia on 16th October, 2006. The incumbent (governing) party, the Federation of Progressive Democrats is seeking re-election with Albinanda Serodini leading the campaign. Their main opponent is the Pacitalian Social Coalition, a social-liberal party under Fernando Chiovitti that serves as the Official Opposition in Pacitalia. The PSC is trying to unseat the FPD after six straight majority governments enjoyed by the latter party. The FPD has been in power since 23rd February, 1988 when Francesco Santo Ragazzo was elected to his first term in the 106th federal general election.

This election follows one of the shortest prime ministerial terms in Pacitalian history. Constantino Sorantanali led the Federation to a majority government in the election on 25th January, 2006, but resigned less than six months later on charges of corruption, his mishandling of Pacitalian diplomacy, and his admission to ordering the assassination of a perceived political opponent. This is the first time since 1937 that a federal election will be held twice in one calendar year.

At dissolution, the FPD held 351 of 647 seats in the Constazione Ampoliticato Federali, Pacitalia's lower parliamentary body. The PSC, as the opposition, held 163 seats. The Greens had the third-largest number of sitting representatives at 70, followed by the Non-Partisan Association with 41. Meanwhile, in the Senatoro Federali, Pacitalia's upper house, the FPD held 150 of the 293 seats there. The PSC had again the second-largest number of seats at 74, followed by the Greens with 34 and the NPA with 26.

Based on the latest polls, it appears that the opposition PSC is headed for its first government since Athena Papistikas led the country between 1977 and 1985. Most likely this government will be a coalition of the PSC and one other ideologically similar party, meaning that it will most likely be the Greens, and if necessary, also the NPA. Failing that, Pacitalia may be heading for its first-ever grand coalition if the latest two opinion polls (showing only 0.5 and 0.4 percent gaps between the PSC and FPD, respectively) are any indication.

Campaigning for this election was extremely light compared to past campaigns, based on the consensus that Pacitalia's political system, widely perceived as aged, out-of-touch, insufficiently democratic, and a catalyst for economic and electoral disparity, needs reform. All the major parties have said they are committed to participating in the reform framework, which will use principles of electoral process and government structure that were proposed by former prime minister Timothy Ell in 2001 but never implemented. Should the new framework be successful, it appears highly likely another federal election, under the new system, will take place sometime early in 2007.