 |
 This
material was originally produced for the ACE Electoral Knowledge
Network. For more information on ACE go to www.aceproject.org.
If the Action Plans included in this project tell us “what
ought to be” then the following case studies are designed
to describe “what is” – although some of the case
studies included actually go beyond this and discuss specific questions
(such as the feasibility of adopting computer technology) associated
with delimitation in the given country.
The case studies are drawn from many regions of the world and examine
the delimitation process in consolidated democracies, as well as
emerging democracies and post-conflict societies.
Consolidated Democracies
The case studies discussing delimitation in consolidated democracies
describe clearly established, but different, approaches to the process.
Most of these countries have independent boundary commissions to
delimit districts – the United States being the most notable
exception to this. Most of the independent commissions are non-partisan
but New Zealand, for example, includes partisan representation on
their boundary commission.
Each case study offers some unique approach to delimitation, for
example:
- New
Zealand uses a seven-member Representation Commission
to draw two sets of districts, one overlaying the other, to ensure
proportional representation for the indigenous Maori population.
The Commission includes partisan representatives and, when delimiting
Maori electoral districts, Maori representatives as well.
- There are three possible triggers prompting a Redistribution
Committee in Australia
to delimit electoral districts: a reallocation in the number of
legislative representatives granted to a state, a prescribed level
of malapportionment among one third of the constituencies in a
state, or when seven years have elapsed. When redrawing districts,
the Redistribution Committee uses population projections so that
the districts are equal in population halfway through the delimitation
interval rather than at the beginning of the delimitation period.
- The Boundary Commission in the United
Kingdom is obliged to consider a clearly established
hierarchy of delimitation criteria in which “special geographic
considerations” can trump population equality and respect
for administrative boundaries. After producing a provisional constituency
plan, the Boundary Commission initiates an extensive public inquiry
process designed to ensure that all stakeholders have a chance
to express their opinions on the proposed plan.
- Even though Germany
has a Mixed Member Proportional Representation electoral system,
the delimitation process does have ramifications for the outcome
of the election in this country. This is because it is possible
for a political party to win more constituency seats than it is
entitled to according to its share of the party vote. When this
occurs, the party retains these seats (known as surplus seats,
or overhang mandates), and the size of the Bundestag is increased.
This has, in fact, happened in every recent election.
- The United States
is one of the only consolidated democracies that has retained
a very politicized – and very contentious – delimitation
process. The legislature is responsible for drawing electoral
district boundaries in most states and the plans created usually
favor whatever political party is in control of the legislature
at the time of delimitation. Delimitation plans can be challenged
in court and very frequently are, making the process even more
time-consuming and contentious.
Emerging Democracies
The emerging democracy case studies also follow the format of describing
“what is,” focusing on unique facets of the process:
- Fiji
uses a Constituency Boundaries Commission to draw a combination
of communal seats, specifically reserved for the major ethnic
groups (indigenous Fijians, Indo-Fijians, and others) in the country,
and “open seats” where all voters, regardless of ethnicity,
cast a vote. Recent elections have been decided by voting in the
most ethnically heterogeneous open seats. Fiji : Delimiting Communal
Seats to Guarantee Ethnic Representation
- In Singapore,
the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee creates constituency
maps in which multimember electoral districts referred to as Group
Representative Constituencies (GRC) predominate. Parties contesting
in a GRC must propose a slate that includes at least one member
of an official minority (listed as Indian, Malay, Eurasian, or
Other) and the slate from the party receiving a plurality of votes
wins all the seats in the district.
- In Malaysia,
the Election Commission is required to weight sparsely populated
rural constituencies so that these constituencies are over-represented
in the legislature. Since ethnic Malays predominate in the rural
areas and non-ethnic Malays reside primarily in the urban centers,
this “rural weightage” guarantees Malay dominance
of the political system.
- The Yemen
case study goes beyond simply describing the existing delimitation
process and examines the possibility of adopting computers and
GIS software for drawing districts. Because an electronic database
merging population and geography is being created, using computer
technology for delimitation is feasible in Yemen. Any country
considering the use of GIS would find this case study (as well
as the Action Plan for Nigeria) particularly useful. Yemen : Assessing
the Feasibility of Computer-Assisted Constituency Delimitation
Post-Conflict Societies
The case studies looking at post-conflict societies take a slightly
different approach, in large part because there is no established
system or rules in place to organize and conduct an election or
delimit districts.
- Kosovo
is contemplating the adoption of an open list Proportional Representation
(PR) electoral system to replace the closed list PR currently
in place, but with the entire country as a single constituency,
the logistics (and the ballot) are likely to be unwieldy. This
case study examines the option of moving to a regional List PR
electoral system and delimiting multimember electoral districts.
Kosovo: Delimiting Electoral Districts for a Proportional Representation
System
- In the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, the question being posed
is not only how to go about drawing districts, but whether to
adopt districts at all – in fact, the electoral system itself
is at issue. This case study discusses various electoral system
possibilities, as well as what existing administrative units might
be used as electoral districts if an election system that employs
districts is adopted. Democratic Republic of the Congo: Determining
How Districts Might be Delimited in a Post-Conflict Society
- One of the many problems facing the United Nations Assistance
Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) as preparations for parliamentary
and local election in Afghanistan
move forward is the delimitation of administration units –
provinces and districts – that will also be used as electoral
constituencies. This case study discusses the problems of defining
these units and, in particular, resolving conflicts over the number
and boundaries of the districts where estimates of the number
of existing districts range from less than 375 to as many as 465.
Afghanistan : Delimiting Districts for Transitional Elections
in a Post-Conflict Society.
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