Iraqi parliament adopts controversial Sainte-Laguë system with 1.7 divisor
Shafaq News/ Iraqi lawmakers opted to give the Sainte-Laguë election system with a 1.7 divisor a thumb up in a vote on the amendment of the election law, sparking controversy among activists and independent lawmakers.
Opponents consider the law tailor-made for the influential political forces in the country, as it reintroduces the single constituency system.
The Sainte-Laguë method is a mathematical calculation used in distributing voters' votes in countries that employ proportional representation systems. It relies on dividing the votes of coalitions by the number 1.4 progressively, providing smaller coalitions with a chance to win.
Previously, Iraq had adopted an electoral divisor of 1.9, which favored large political entities at the expense of individual candidates (independents and civilians), as well as emerging and smaller entities.
The lawmakers voted on the articles:
First: The valid votes for each list are divided by the sequential numbers (1.7, 3, 5, 7, 9...etc.) and by the number of seats in the electoral district. The highest results are chosen until all seats in the electoral district are exhausted.
Article 14th: First: If a member of the House of Representatives or a member of the Provincial Council loses their seat for any reason, they will be replaced by the next candidate in terms of the votes received on their list.
Second: If a member of the House of Representatives or a member of the Provincial Council loses their seat for any reason and was part of a standalone list, the seat is allocated to another candidate who has the highest number of votes for a party or political organization that has reached the maximum threshold of votes but has not obtained a seat.
The adoption of the 1.7 divisor in the Sainte-Laguë system has raised concerns among political analysts and independent candidates who argue that it could potentially further marginalize smaller political entities and individual contenders in future elections.
