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WHAT IS "CONTRACTUAL DEMOCRACY" (CD)?
Contractual democracy consists in entrusting the government to a Prime Minister elected on the basis of an action PLAN for which he has stated the objectives, the costs, and the actions required; a plan that he commits himself to achieve. The fulfillment of this plan becomes a contract between himself and the people.
WHO SEES TO IT THAT THE PRIME MINISTER RESPECTS HIS CONTRACT WITH THE PEOPLE?
The National Assembly, composed of deputies (representatives) independent of of any partisan affiliation and where there is one elected by the people for each electoral riding. The Assembly is empowered to destitute the Prime Minister who does not respect his commitments and to call a new election to choose somebody else.
WHO ASSISTS THE PRIME MINISTER IN THE FULFILLMENT OF HIS PLAN?
A team of experts (ministers) he appoints, can dismiss at his discretion, and who constitute his Cabinet (his Council of ministers).
ARE THE MINISTERS ELECTED?
No. The ministers are appointed by the Prime Minister who can dismiss them. Only the Prime Minister is elected by universal suffrage. He is the one who has a "contract" with the people and who is responsible for fulfilling the plan he has proposed.
WHAT HAPPENS TO POLITICAL PARTIES IN A CONTRACTUAL DEMOCRACY?
They become groups devoted to the promotion of an ACTION PLAN support a candi- date for the position of Prime Minister. Should this candidate be elected, it would be this party's plan that would become the government's program and the contract with the people. Should its candidate not be elected but has obtained more than 1% of the votes, a party would be awarded a seat at the Consultative Chamber from which the party's spokesperson could express itself on any question submitted for decisions by the National Assembly.
IS THE SEPARATION OF POWERS A NEW APPROACH?
No. The separation of the executive (the prime minister) and the legislative (National Assembly) is not an exception, but is the rule in a democracy. This separation exists in the United States, in France, etc. and flows from the first principles of democracy as declared by Montesquieu, Jefferson, Madison, etc. It is our present system of democracy that is the exception.
IS THE NOTION THAT AN ELECTED PERSON HAS A CONTRACT TO RESPECT A NEW IDEA?
No. It is the concept of the "imperative mandate" which has been known for centuries. It is also the "recall" formula that is so often the subject these days in Western Canada.
WHAT DOES THE POPULATION THINK OF CONTRACTUAL DEMOCRACY?
According to an opinion poll conducted by Sondagem based on
usual criteria, 80% of the population understand very well what
contractual democracy is and support its main principles as soon
as they are explained to them.
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