REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY

Nothing in our political system compels a politician to fulfill his promises. A politician can say anything before an election and do whatever he wants after the election. What has been said has no contractual value. Is this what we have in mind when we talk about democracy: a blank check to do anything at all? If you think that this isn't true then you are mistaken! The answer is "yes". In a representative democracy, the elected government can do whatever it wants; it is sovereign.

CONTROLLED DEMOCRACY

The truth is that elected representatives don't do what their voters want but what their party tells them to. This is neither an abuse of the voter's confidence nor false representation. It is actually playing by the rules of the game as they exist under this type of democracy. The MNA has to vote the party line; otherwise he will be cast out by his party and probably not be re-elected.

TOWARDS CONTRACTUAL DEMOCRACY

In CONTRACTUAL DEMOCRACY , parties, party leaders and MNAs have different roles. Contractual democracy is an ultimate effort to return an image of honesty, efficiency and real democracy to Quebec politics. Its objectives are :

To elect at the next general election, and in every electoral riding in Quebec, an INDEPENDANT member of the National Assembly whose sole mission will be to represent the electorate rather than to be at the service of the Party;

That, these INDEPENDANT members, forming a majority at the National Assembly, vote without delay, an amendment to the electoral act distinguishing clearly for the future, between the legislative powers of the National Assembly and the executive powers of the Premier, like in the United States, thereby strictly obligating this person to fulfill the program on the basis of which he was elected;

That, the National Assembly immediately decree the holding of a general election (a run-off election like in France) by universal suffrage of all eligible voters, to designate the Premier (the government);

That, the elected Premier and his team govern Quebec under the vigilant eye of the National Assembly that can impeach them if they don't respect their electoral promises.

TO SUMMARIZE

Instead of voting for promises that will not kept, we will vote for parties that have made binding contractual promises to carry out their program.

Instead of electing MNAs who represent their parties, we will elect INDEPENDANT MNAs who will represent their voters and whose mandate will be to ensure that the elected Premier and his team (the government), respect their program.

LET'S RETURN CREDIBILITY TO A DEMOCRACY THAT HAS LOST THE CONFIDENCE OF THE PEOPLE. COPY and DISTRIBUTE this page!

Le mémoire de la DÉMOCRATIE CONTRACTUELLE devant
la Commission spéciale sur la Loi électorale
le 2 mars 2006 à Dorval