2011年 5月 4日, 星期三 - 格林尼治標準時間12:51
讓英國人迷惘的AV
BBC英倫網 皓宇
先是威廉王子和凱特的世紀大婚，接著又趕上基地組織魁首本·拉登被美國人擊斃，使得英國媒體對原本應該聚焦的“國家大事”——有可能影響英國未來政壇格局的AV公投都難有空暇照應。
中文讀者假如把AV這個英文縮寫詞隨便拿去谷歌或百度一下，說不定會找到一堆日本和中港臺的成人電影名目。
其實，英國人此時所講AV與一些東亞線民經常談論的Adult Video毫無關係，而是英文中所謂“排序複選制”——Alternative Vote一詞的縮寫。
此AV非彼AV，切勿混淆。
其實不要說是中文讀者搞不清楚，在週五公投已經進入倒計時的今日，儘管已經有不少政客從眾多角度解釋他們的AV理念，仍然有許多英國人還沒搞清這AV究竟是什麼東西。
何謂AV呢？
原則簡單
其實所謂AV原則上非常簡單，就是若要贏得選舉，一個候選人必須至少得到選區內50%以上投票選民的選票。
這與目前英國實行的每選區內得到簡單多數即可獲勝的制度有明顯差別。
依照提議中的AV原則，選民投票時不再是簡單地在自己最喜歡的一名候選人名字旁邊打“X”，而應在自己最喜歡的候選人名字旁邊寫阿拉伯數字“1”，然後再按照個人喜好，分別給其他提名候選人排列2、3、4……
點票時，如果沒有候選人能在“1”選項中獲得50%的選票，那麼第一輪中因得票最少被淘汰候選人所得的第“2”選項選票將被計算。此後依此類推，進行“3”甚至“4”輪點票，直至最終某個候選人率先超過“50%”的票門檻。
[如果沒有候選人能在“1”選項中獲得50%的選票，那麼第一輪中因得票最少的候選人被淘汰。被淘汰候選人所得的選票中第“2”選項將被算入其他候選人的得票數，看是否有候選人超過“50%”的票門檻。如果還是沒有，那麼第二輪中總得票最少的候選人被淘汰。進行“3”甚至“4”輪點票，直至最終某個候選人率先超過“50%”的票門檻。]
優點
自民黨黨魁克萊格力挺AV投票制度。
支持英國選舉改革、力挺AV的人認為，包括瑞士、德國等很多歐洲高度民主國家以及聯合王國中的蘇格蘭都在使用某種類型的AV系統，這樣能使英國的選舉制度對邊緣黨派變得“更公平、更民主”。
支持者還說，英國某些黨派競爭激烈的選區，往往選舉時出現多個政黨候選人旗鼓相當的局勢，結果依照現行簡單多數制往往造成其中某人僅以幾百、幾十、甚至幾票微弱優勢贏席。
他們指出，現有投票制度使得英國經常出現一個得票率不到三分之一、卻可以在議會中佔有壓倒性多數席位的執政黨。
支持者辯述，獲勝者得票率常常不到30%是“不公平”的，而AV將確保贏選人真正得到“多數選民”支援，因此可以說是在現行英國選舉制度上的一個改良。
缺點
反對AV的人一樣有自己的道理。
他們首先認為英國現行一人一票、簡單多數制度更簡單明瞭，每個選民都清楚自己在投誰的票，而且不大可能給政客們留下跨黨派幕後交易的餘地。
首相卡梅倫和他所領導的保守黨堅決反對AV。
他們認為一旦實行了AV，那麼如果各黨派預計己方第一輪投票勝出機會不大，就會希望借助“君子協定”甚至 “幕後交易”方式操縱選舉結果。
比如說A党可以要求支持者第2選項選B黨，而B黨可以同樣要求支持者第2選項選A黨，以便確保C黨無論如何不會獲勝。
批評AV的人還說，歐洲很多實行AV的國家就出現過極右翼、新納粹黨派由於第2、3選項的優勢最終超出主流黨派贏得地方選舉的事例。
AV影響
一些較中立的分析人士指出，其實AV改革即使通過，那麼最大的受益者也很難是政壇中相對邊緣化的小黨派。
因為在多黨派競爭激烈的選區，邊緣小黨仍將在第一、二輪中遭到淘汰，排序選票會被較大黨派重新瓜分。
英國媒體普遍認為，自民黨在英國三大政黨中已經長期處於排第三的不利地位，因此自民黨中很多人相信一旦能夠實行AV，將使自己成為一個可與保守黨和工黨爭天下的黨。
有分析人士指出，由於英國長期以來因為選區劃分佈局等原因，使得自民党支持者往往分配相對平均與稀疏，缺乏票倉或根據地；因此依照現行投票制度，儘管自民黨在不少選區中與保守黨或工黨的支持率不相上下卻往往難以勝出。
由於在保守黨、工党和自由民主黨三黨中，工黨和自民党選民又更可能相互投下第2選項票，因此自民黨當初同意與保守黨組成聯合政府時的一大交換條件就是第一任內要AV公投。
鑒於同樣原因，保守黨人此番都堅決反對AV，他們擔心一旦實行AV，長期支援率徘徊在30%左右的保守黨將很難再有機會直接贏得大選。
同樣，作為夾在中間的工黨，則是在AV問題上意見分歧較大，儘管有新黨魁力挺AV，但是也有不少前政府要員則紛紛出來對AV說不。
所以說，如果英國的政壇精英們都搞不清楚自己究竟要支持還是反對AV，難怪不少普通英國人如今聽到這個詞就有些頭痛。
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ukchina/simp/uk_life/2011/05/110504_life_av_confusion.shtml
The story was taken from BBC World Service at above-stated URL, and then translated into traditional Chinese by MS Word.
7 May 2011 Last updated at 01:54 GMT
Vote 2011: UK rejects alternative vote
The UK has voted overwhelmingly to reject changing the way MPs are elected - dealing a bitter blow to Nick Clegg on top of heavy Lib Dem poll losses.
Officials say 19.1m people voted in the second UK-wide referendum in history - a higher than expected turnout of 41%.
The final result put the Yes vote at 32.1% and the No vote at 67.9%.
It comes as the Lib Dems suffered a rout in English local elections - and the SNP scored an historic victory in the Scottish Parliament poll.
Alex Salmond's party will form a majority government - humbling Labour in one of its traditional heartlands and paving the way for a referendum on Scottish independence.
'Clear result'
Labour made significant gains in town halls in the north of England and in the Welsh assembly elections, it fell just short of an absolute majority.
Labour also held Leicester South in a Parliamentary by-election with an increased majority, although the Lib Dems hung on to second place. Sir Peter Soulsby, whose decision to stand down triggered the contest, won the contest to be Leicester mayor.
The Conservatives managed to make significant gains too - with their Lib Dem coalition partners apparently bearing the brunt of public anger over spending cuts at English local elections.
And there was a double blow for Lib Dem leader and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg - who saw his dream of ditching Britain's first-past-the-post electoral system comprehensively dashed.
Mr Clegg said: "I wish I could say this was a photo finish but it isn't, the result is very clear. I'm a passionate supporter of political reform but when the answer is as clear as this, you have got to accept it."
"This is a bitter blow for all those people, like me, who believe in the need for political reform."
The official result of the AV referendum was declared early on Saturday morning.
According to the Electoral Commission, 6,152,607 voted Yes to the Alternative Vote, while 13,013,123 voted No.
'Resounding answer'
Labour leader Ed Miliband - who also backed AV, while many of his own party did not - said he was "disappointed" but the people had "spoken clearly and it's a verdict I accept".
But David Cameron, whose Conservative Party campaigned to keep first-past-the-post, said the referendum had delivered a "resounding answer that settles the question" over electoral change and people now wanted the government to get on with governing in the national interest.
The director of the No campaign, Matthew Elliott, said he had been "astonished" at the scale of the No victory: "I personally believe that this result will settle the debate over changing our electoral system for the next generation."
Mr Clegg told the BBC the Lib Dems were facing "the brunt of the blame" for coalition spending cuts, adding that, for some voters, they were bringing out "memories of things under Thatcher".
He promised to "redouble our efforts" and "get up and dust ourselves down".
BBC political editor Nick Robinson said the order had gone out from Conservative HQ that Tories, who campaigned against their Lib Dem coalition partners over AV, should not be seen gloating.
But he said while there was no serious talk about challenging Mr Clegg's leadership, Mr Clegg was expected to put up more of a fight against his Conservative colleagues so there would be more difficult months ahead for the coalition.
The Lib Dems have lost almost half their councillors whose seats were up for grabs but the Conservatives, who already controlled more councils than all the other parties put together, have increased their number of councillors and gained control of two councils.
In Northern Ireland, The DUP and Sinn Fein are expected to remain the biggest parties in the Northern Ireland Assembly, but there has been controversy over the system for counting votes.
The SNP's victory in Scotland is the first time any party has achieved a majority since the 129-seat Scottish Parliament was established in 1999.
Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray said he would stand down in the autumn.
In Wales, Labour won 30 assembly seats, one short of the 31 needed to gain an overall majority.
The Conservatives made gains, but Plaid Cymru and the Lib Dems suffered losses.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13297573
The story was taken from the website of BBC. The copyright remains with BBC or their original owners.
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