STA, 21 December 2020 - The coalition has tabled a bill that would redraw some electoral districts in line with a 2018 Constitutional Court decision, after a rival opposition bill that would have abolished districts altogether failed to garner the required two-thirds majority in the National Assembly last week.
The wording of the bill has not been made public yet, but it is likely to include a proposal drawn up by the Public Administration Ministry.
In landmark ruling in 2018, the Constitutional Court gave the National Assembly two years to ensure compliance of electoral law with the Constitution after determining that some district sizes were so disproportionate the equality of all voters was no longer guaranteed.
Two ways of tackling this issue quickly emerged: one where districts would be abolished altogether in favour of electoral unit voting with preference votes, and a second where the boundaries of some districts would be redrawn.
The first option was always seen as more difficult given that it required a two-thirds majority. The second option requires a simple majority.
The ruling Democrats (SDS) have been in favour of the redrawing of districts and together with the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS) they successfully blocked last week's attempt at the abolition of districts.
After two failed attempts, it is expected that the coalition Modern Centre Party (SMC) and New Slovenia (NSi), which have been in favour of the abolition of districts, could now back this bill as well.
Under the Constitutional Court's decision, the new system ought to have been in place by today. In recent months President Borut Pahor, who initially spearheaded the effort to build a consensus around the legislative changes, has indicated any elections before the law is changed might be considered unconstitutional and illegitimate.
