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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | Adapting to Electoral System Change: Voters in Lesotho, 2002 |
Authors: | Fox, Roddy Southall, Roger |
Year: | 2003 |
Periodical: | Journal of African Elections |
Volume: | 2 |
Issue: | 2 |
Period: | October |
Pages: | 86-96 |
Language: | English |
Geographic term: | Lesotho |
Subjects: | elections 2002 electoral systems Politics and Government |
Abstract: | The 2002 election in Lesotho was a test for the newly introduced Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) electoral system. At issue was not only whether MMP would provide an improved basis for electoral legitimacy and political stability, but also whether voters would understand and be able to adapt to the new system. Overall, the evidence demonstrates that Lesotho's voters had no difficulty adapting to the changed electoral system. Ordinary people appear to have no huge difficulty understanding the broad principles of electoral democracy, even if the detailed mechanics of 'mixed' voting systems may be beyond them. What is clearly important in this regard is that voters grasp the principle of proportionality provided for by the MMP and that they trust the electoral body which undertakes the calculations. Bibliogr., notes, ref. [ASC Leiden abstract] |