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ICly by Alexander Smith, Tinhamptonian Delegate-Ambassador to the World Assembly.
Repeal "Promoting Democratic Stability Act"
A resolution to repeal previously passed legislation.Category: RepealTarget: GA#579Proposed by: Tinhampton
General Assembly Resolution #579 “Promoting Democratic Stability Act” (Category: Furtherment of Democracy; Strength: Significant) shall be struck out and rendered null and void.
Lamenting that while GA#579's efforts to advance democratic integrity and equality are very much laudable, their implementation ‒ by shockingly overshooting some mandates while wholly undermining the intents of others ‒ is not,
Confused at Article 2 applying to "all local, regional, and national ballots and elections", whereas Article 1:
- explicitly defines a "ballot" to be a "national vote," and
- fails to cover as an "election," for example, closed-list proportional representation systems (where only slates of candidates - not "an individual" - may be elected) and many recall elections (which only ask voters whether to remove an individual from office without immediately electing a successor),
Concerned that, regardless of Article 2's scope:
- Article 2c may be read to forbid "discriminat[ion] for not casting a vote," acting as an unwarranted ban on compulsory voting, a long-established and popular policy intended to counteract electoral distortion caused by certain demographics being more (or less) likely to vote in elections than others, and
- Article 2d only prohibits discrimination against voters based on "immutable characteristic[s]" or membership of "any other class which may be protected under national or international law," definitions blurry enough to nonetheless empower nations to arbitrarily disenfranchise non-landowners, as property ownership status is neither a "protected class" by resolution nor necessarily by national law, nor is it strictly immutable,
Outraged that Article 5 prohibits this august body from taking any action to address shortcomings such as these, or otherwise ensure electoral fairness in member states,
Incensed, furthermore, at Article 6 requiring the Office of Electoral Administration (OEA) to "investigate allegations of voter intimidation, voter fraud, and other fraudulent or dishonest practices relating to elections", a mandate so vague and indiscriminate that it effectively:
- requires the OEA to follow up on any such claims regardless of how baseless or inconsequential they actually are, and
- gives the OEA oversight and even censuring power over candidates' manifestos on the grounds that possible misleading claims within them constitute "dishonest practices relating to elections," and
Convinced that, since flawed resolutions cannot be amended but must be repealed in full, GA#579 ought to be struck from the record...
The General Assembly hereby repeals GA#579 "Promoting Democratic Stability Act."
Co-author: Tepertopia