Changes in the electoral law have led to a massive purchase of so-called "political franchises" by large and medium-sized businessmen. Due to the abolition of the majority system, it has become much easier to calculate future election winners, so buying seats on the lists has become a profitable business model. This was discussed on November 18 during the round table "Local Elections 2020. Trends and Lessons" at the StopCor media center, said Viktor Medvid, director of the Prisma think tank.
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"Regarding political franchises. Businessmen have always bought places on the lists, but why has it become fashionable and economically viable now? First of all, it is due to the new law. The fact that more or less accurate data can be obtained before elections. Accordingly, businessmen, investing money in the purchase of the relevant party quotas, can clearly calculate the cost of each mandate.
<"Коли вибори були за змішаною системою і були мажоритарні депутати, а не від партій - це було досить складно порахувати", - зазначив він.
According to Medvid, the main commercial risk of businessmen investing in the acquisition of political parties is that if they do not get a majority, the money is effectively wasted. That is why it is necessary to clearly calculate the number of parliamentary seats.
"The mixed system did not provide such an opportunity, because 50%s were actually formed on the free market, and these deputies were not tied to political parties. Now it is quite well structured. We saw this situation in the Kirovohrad region. We clearly received a sociological study by the relevant sociological group. There is a mathematical model, they calculated and actually got the result before the election. The most striking example was that 80% political parties in Ukraine sold their seats to one businessman. Accordingly, when we said that the majoritarian system is bad and easy to corrupt, it is obvious that it is easier to corrupt 5-6 political cells than to corrupt 25 independent majoritarians and 5 other political parties in a district center," the expert emphasized.
Medved is confident that political corruption has become easier in this case, and the cost of political parties has increased locally.
The franchise has actually become an icon of these elections. Everyone was selling franchises - it was the most profitable business in the last few months.
"This is a consequence of the changes to the Electoral Code that were adopted. Therefore, I believe that the system needs to be changed based on the results of these elections. Because what we are actually getting is the example of the Kirovohrad region, when local businessmen are actually completely monopolizing the united communities. And for little money. That is, a small medium-sized businessman can corrupt half of the region with political connections and a few million dollars.".
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