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The Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania - Forum > Discussions > Political Discussions > New Ally for Ballot Access??
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Author Topic: New Ally for Ballot Access??  (Read 275 times)
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djahn
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« on: July 06, 2008, 11:19:53 pm »


http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080625/pl_afp/zimbabwevoteusbush

Bush denounces 'sham' Zimbabwe vote Wed Jun 25, 3:04 PM ET

US President George W. Bush on Wednesday denounced Zimbabwe's planned run-off election as a "sham" and urged the African Union (AU) to increase pressure on the government of President Robert Mugabe.

"Friday's elections, you know, appear to be a sham," Bush said as he met with representatives of countries that sit on the UN Security Council. "This is an incredibly sad development."

"You can't have free elections if a candidate is not allowed to campaign freely and his supporters aren't allowed to campaign without fear of intimidation," he added.

"I hope that the AU will, at their meeting this weekend, continue to highlight the illegitimacy of the elections, continue to remind the world that this election is not free and it's not fair," said Bush.

The African Union is set to hold a summit in Egypt June 30-July 1.

Mugabe's government has vowed to go ahead with the presidential run-off on Friday despite the withdrawal of opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai, who cited political violence against his supporters.

"The people of Zimbabwe deserve better than what they're receiving now. People there want to express themselves at the ballot box, yet the Mugabe government refuses to allow them to do so. This is not just, and it is wrong," said Bush.

Tsvangirai won the March 29 presidential poll but did not secure the required majority to claim outright victory. His pull-out has laid out a possible victory by default for Mugabe, who has held power since 1980.

Bush thanked African leaders who have "stepped up and spoke clearly" about the situation in Zimbabwe and thanked the UN Security Council for a consensus statement on the upheaval in the strife-torn country.

"It is a powerful statement for fairness and decency and human dignity. And I suspect you'll still be dealing with this issue," Bush said as he met with the diplomats in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.

I have to wonder if he really thinks it is any better here.

David Jahn
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David Jahn
Mik
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« Reply #1 on: July 07, 2008, 12:16:10 am »
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"The people of Zimbabwe deserve better than what they're receiving now. People there want to express themselves at the ballot box, yet the Mugabe government refuses to allow them to do so. This is not just, and it is wrong," said Bush.

This is true, but I doubt anyone in either Washington DC or Harrisburg will think of Pennsylvania's ballot access laws when they read this. Nor will they see any similarity between the two if it is pointed out to them. The situations in the two locations are very different. I don't believe we will have an ally for election reform in Pennsylvania with President Bush.

I would like to know how there is a "compelling interest" of the commonwealth to eliminate "ballot clutter".  If people from California can elect a governor from over 100 names on the ballot, and people from Iraq can elect a government with dozens of candidates for elected offices, what makes the voters of Pennsylvania so stupid that they have to be protected by legislation to choose their elected officials?

Clearly the election laws are a device to maintain control, just as the tactics in Zimbabwe are. In order to change the situation in Pennsylvania, we need to give the major parties an alternative as well, and preferably eliminate the compulsory participation in the publicly funded nomination process known as the primary election.

The draft legislation proposed by Rep. Benninghoff is a step in the right direction, but simple replacement of signatures with filing fees has its own set of problems particularly if the fees are not equal, as the proposed language has it. Let's see if it will get any traction.

Mik Robertson
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Samantha1965
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« Reply #2 on: July 07, 2008, 07:16:26 am »
Quote from: Mik on July 07, 2008, 12:16:10 am
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"The people of Zimbabwe deserve better than what they're receiving now. People there want to express themselves at the ballot box, yet the Mugabe government refuses to allow them to do so. This is not just, and it is wrong," said Bush.

... what makes the voters of Pennsylvania so stupid that they have to be protected by legislation to choose their elected officials?


Mik Robertson


Well they did elect Ed Rendell as governor!

Samantha
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johngalinac
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« Reply #3 on: July 07, 2008, 07:59:18 am »
Wow. Point to Samantha.
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« Reply #4 on: July 08, 2008, 01:48:45 am »
I think the election of Rendell is the result, not what made the voters stupid in the first place.

Mik Robertson
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