The national assembly: Deformations of the territorial representation

Abstract

The tendency of increasing number of municipalities from which there are no deputies in the legislative body and specific metropolization of the political representation reflected in overrepresentation of large cities, especially Belgrade and Novi Sad, is present in all legislative periods from 1990 to 2008. That tendency was less developed by applying the majoritarian electoral model but it was hardened and strengthened by applying of the proportional electoral system, especially in the variant of one constituency. The implication is non-representation, averagely of a quarter of the electoral body and the same number of the local self-government units that have not a direct representative in the national legislative body. It is mostly about the municipalities, which are emphaticaly undeveloped according to various criteria's. The pro­portional electoral system, one constituency, a closed list, are not the unique inducements of the described phenomenon. Migrations, depopulation, population growth rate, structural changes in a community and in economy, etc. Political elites remained indifferent towards the necessary reforms of the electoral system that could lessen the repercussions which derogate legitimacy of the representation. That is why the reform of the electoral system that would preserve proportionality and also induct the vote for the candidates who would be tied to narrower constituencies is proposed. .

U svim legislaturnim periodima od 1990. do 2008. godine prisutna je tendencija rasta broja opština iz kojih nema narodnih poslanika u zakonodavnom telu i specifična metropolizacija političke reprezentacije koja se ogleda u nadpredstavljenosti velikih gradova, posebno Beograda i Novog Sada. Ta tendencija bila je manje razvijena primenom većinskog izbornog modela da bi se ustalila i osnažila primenom proporcionalnog izbornog sistema, posebno u varijanti jedne izborne jedinice. Posledica je nepredstavljenost prosečno četvrtine biračkog tela i isto toliko jedinica lokalne samouprave koji nemaju direktnog predstavnika u nacionalnom zakonodavnom telu. Radi se pretežno o opštinama koje po raznim kriterijumima spadaju u izrazito nerazvijene. Proporcionalni izborni sistem, jedna izborna jedinica, zatvorena lista, nisu jedini uzroci opisane pojave. Na nju utiču i migracije, depopulacija, stopa priraštaja, strukturne promene u društvu i privredi, i slično. Političke elite ostale su indiferentne za nužne reforme izbornog sistema kojima bi se ublažile posledice koje krnje legitimnost predstavništva. Zato se predlaže reforma izbornog sistema koja bi očuvala proporcionalnost, ali uvela i glasanje za kandidate koji bi bili vezani za uže izborne jedinice. .