1. STABILITY OF ELECTION LAW EFFECTIVE PROCEDURAL GUARANTEES
FORUM FOR THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY
BASIC CONDITIONS
FUNDAMENTAL
RIGHTS
STABILITY OF ELECTION LAW
EFFECTIVE PROCEDURAL GUARANTEES
IMPARTIAL
ELECTORAL
BODIES
Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters of the Venice Commission (CGP) underlies five basic principles of European electoral heritage. Suffrage must be:
universal
b) equal
c) free
d) secret
e) direct.
Furthermore, elections must be held periodically.
WIDEST POSSIBLE OBSERVATION
EFFECTIVE SYSTEM OF APPEALS, FINALLY TO COURTS

2. BASIC PRINCIPLES SUFFRAGE HAS TO BE EQUAL ELECTIONS MUST BE HELD FREE
 FORUM FOR THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY
BASIC PRINCIPLES
SUFFRAGE HAS TO BE
UNIVERSAL
ELECTIONS
MUST BE HELD
PERIODICALLY!
EQUAL
FREE
SECREET
DIRECT
The Code stresses that underlying principles can only be guaranteed if certain general conditions are fulfilled. These conditions are:
respect for fundamental human rights and particularly freedom of expression, assembly and association;
stability of electoral law as a protection against party political manipulation;
effective procedural guarantees that includes: impartial electoral bodies, widest possible observation of the elections and effective system of appeals, finally to the courts.

3. MAJORITY/PLURALITY SYSTEM
FORUM FOR THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY
MAJORITY/PLURALITY SYSTEM
ADVANTAGES
CLEAR CHOICE BETWEEN POSSIBLE RULING PARTIES
STRONG GOVERNMENT, STABLE ONE-PARTY CABINET
ENCOURAGEMENT OF MODERATE POLITICAL APPROACH
CONCENTRATION OF THE PARTIES – TWO-PARTY SYSTEM
PREVENTS FRACTURES OF THE PARTIES
DISADVANTAGES
MANY VOTES ARE “THROWN AWAY”
DISTORTION OF THE ELECTORAL WILL
NARROWING OF THE CHOICE
Electoral system has in many ways formative effect on the shape of party system. Two main types of electoral systems – majority/plurality and proportional tend to “produce” different types of party systems.
Majority/plurality system tend to produce: a) two-party system; b) strong, stable, one-party cabinet.
It makes government to emerge as a direct consequence of the will of electorate, rather than post-electoral negotiations among parties.
MP makes easier changes of the governments. Two main parties alternate to power in foreseeable interwals.
As two main parties cover broad electoral spectrum, system force them to adopt moderate political approach.
MP system prevent fractures of the big parties. Small parties have not much chances to win seats in the parliament.
Extremism or politics of the “bribe” exercised by small parties are very restricted.

4. PROPORTIONAL SYSTEM DISADVANTAGES ADVANTAGES BROADER REPRESENTATION
FORUM FOR THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY
PROPORTIONAL SYSTEM
ADVANTAGES
BROADER REPRESENTATION
FACILITATING ELECTIONS OF WOMEN AND MINORITIES
NEGOTIATIONS AND COMPROMISES
MAGNITUDE OF DISTORTION OF ELECTORAL WILL – NOT HIGH
DISADVANTAGES
UNSTABLE GOVERNMENTS
LOOSE CONNECTION BETWEEN VOTERS AND CANDIDATES
DIFFICULT UNSEATING OF UNPOPULAR CANDIDATES
HIGHLY CENTRALIZED PARTIES
PR system – main features:
representation in the parliament of very broad interests existing in the society;
prevention from making too artificial majorities in the parliament that don’t reflect real will of the electorate, i.e. prevention magnitude of the distortion of electoral will to be too high;
Negotiations and compromises, inclusion of different parties, minority and religious groups to take part in decision-making process;
prevention of to sudden and radical political turnovers;
easier representation for minorities and women.

5. PRESIDENTIAL/TWO-PARTY
FORUM FOR FUTURE DEMOCRACY
FEASIBLE COMBINATIONS ____________________________________________________________________________________________
MULTY PARTY SYSTEM
PRESIDENTIAL
PARLIAMENTARY
TWO PARTY SYSTEM
PRESIDENTIAL/TWO-PARTY
PАRLIAMENTARY/TWO-PARTY
PАRLIAMENTARY/
MULTY-PARTY
PRESIDENTIAL/
Not every type of party system functions equally good in different types of government.
Two basic types of democratic government – parliamentary and presidential (semi-presidential systems have features of both and those features tend to switch in its “domination”) don’t necessarily fit equally well with two main types of electoral systems.
Triad: type of the government – party system – electoral system is very much interconnected. Although, “any electoral system may be chosen” (CGP), it may have very different effects. It is due to a different nature of two types of democracy – parliamentarian and presidential.
Government in parliamentary system may exist only if backed by majority in the legislature, while executive power in the presidential systems doesn’t need majority support in the legislative body.
Conflict between executive and legislative branch in parliamentary system isn’t actually possible. Ultimately, government may loose majority and new elections resolves the situation.
Conflict between two branches is possible in presidential system especially if legislative body is fragmented on many parties or presidential party is not strong one.

6. PRESIDENTIAL/MAJORITY
FORUM FOR THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY
FEASIBLE COMBINATIONS ____________________________________________________________________________________________
PROPOTIONAL
PRESIDENTIAL
PARLIAMENTARY
MAJORITY
PRESIDENTIAL/MAJORITY
PАRLIAMENTARY/
PROPORTIONAL
PRESIDENTIAL/
One should be careful when decide to opt for the PR system in presidential democracy or semi-presidential system with constitutionally very strong president.
As PR system very often tend to create fragmented parliament, it may, due to the given features of presidential system, produce serious tensions or even constitutional dead-lock between legislative and executive.
Parliamentary system can “work” successfully with consequences of both electoral systems – MP as well as PR one.