Swedish National Election and My First Time to Vote

By Kolbotkhmer

Today 19 September 2010 the day that Sweden holds its national election which started from 8:00AM to 8:00PM and it is also the day that i have the right to vote in Sweden for the first time. But according to Swedish election law I am constitutionally eligible to vote only for congressmen to municipality and county council levels, not the national level (parliament). The law states that if one has lived in Sweden for three years then one has the right to vote for municipality and county council, and only Swedish citizens who have the rights to vote for all the three levels. For me I have lived in Sweden more than four year now. I feel great to vote here.

My constituency is in Kvissleby, Sundvall. I went to vote at 10am near my house. There I met two persons who stood outside near the entrance of the election building. They were the representatives from the two biggest parties in Sweden- Social Democratic Party (Red Block) and the Moderate Party (Blue Block). They stood their in order to hand us their parties’ election notes (ballots).

Inside the election room, there were four people. Two of them were standing at the door of the election room near the election booths. They were the people who would assist voters in case they didn’t have received clear information about how to vote and what rights they were eligible to vote.

Then at the table sitting two other persons who controlled the election list names and identity cards and carefully inspect and put the ballots in the ballot box. The ballot box is big and has three ports for three types of ballots: 1). municipality level, 2). the county council level, and 3). the national level.

The election environment is so peaceful, fair, and free as usual. I actually voted for Social Democratic Party, the party which has the best program and policy for welfare state, democracy, and environment.

The final ballot count is declared tonight at 12 o’clock midnight which showed that the Opposition Red Block (Social Democratic Party, Left Party, and the Green Party ) together received 157 seats in the parliament while the incumbent Blue Block (Moderate Party, Christian Democratic Party, Liberal Party, and Center Party) received 172 seats in the parliament.

The result shows that there isn’t any block has won the majority vote which required at least 175 seats of its 349 seats in the parliament in order to establish a government. The problem in the election in this mandate is that there is a new far right party emerged and has gained its position voted to the parliament. The new party- Sweden Democrats known as the Neo-Nazi Party in Sweden, now has won 20 seats. This party has an extreme policy against immigrants and multicultural cooperation and integration. It is remarkably noted that this party was established in 1988 and has never voted to the parliament, and surprisingly now this party is led by a very young man Jimmie Akersson, 31, becomes popular and does worry all immigrants who live Sweden.

Now we will wait and see how the government in this new mandate 2010- 2014 established.

NOTE: It is very important to understand the election system in Sweden while taken into account how the political party’s alliance works positively and influentially there which is contradictory to Cambodian election system in which political alliance is useless, has no ground and influence in establishing a government. And this is why I always say “NO” to the notion of political alliance between Sam Rainsy Party and Human Right Party and even with other parties. I will write more on this system later.