Thursday, May 29, 2008



Parties III

Another minnow party has popped up for election year: icount. This seems to be yet another grumpy party complaining about politicians who don't keep their promises and "ignore the people". But their solution is rather innovative. Where other grumpy parties demand binding citizens initiated referenda (usually in the most stupid variation available; it can be done properly (thoughts here and here), but these people seem constitutionally incapable of it), icount plans to have remote-controlled list MPs. Members will vote on party policy through the website, and MPs will then mirror those views in Parliament, with any MP who does not being forced to resign (good luck enforcing that).

Of course, in order to get list MPs, they need to not only get 5% of the vote, but also manage to get 500 financial members so they can get registered as a party. And so far, they have no acknowledgement at all of the need for the latter. And with only 5 months until the election, they probably have their work cut out for them.

(Hat tip: 100 Word Blog).