Federal-parliamentary

As a German I feel elated that columnist Bobit Avila recommends to follow the German system of government that is federal-parliamentary. He holds that the time is ripe for President Duterte to move the Philippines into a federal-parliamentary set-up.

As a man who has lived under and contributed as a party member to the federal-parliamentary system I try to convince the readers of further advantages of the federal-parliamentary system that has made Germany one of the 20 most successful and peaceful nations on earth. Indeed Germans are convinced that our constitution (Basic Law) is very good. In the 70 years since 1949 it was amended 62 times.

Two basic features are the party law and the election law that prescribes how the parties are elected into the Bundestag (federal diet). We have two kinds of members of diet: district elected direct candidates (on the ballot are their names and the party) and party members (on the ballot is the party name).

Direct candidates get a seat anyway, the party candidates who are listed on a priority list obtain seats in proportion to the garnered votes of their party. Important is that the party candidates get as many seats as the direct candidates occupy. In reality it follows a very complicated mathematical formula but at the end the parliament mirrors exactly the will of the electorate. The voter makes only two cross marks on the ballot. Hand counting is done within two hours.

The strongest party presents the prime minister (bundeskanzler). He or she determines the guidelines of policy for four years without limitation of reelection by the majority of parliamentarians. Adenauer, Kohl, and Merkel all held the office for 16 years.

Since usually no party garners more than 50% of votes, the strongest party must engage into coalition negotiations in order to find a partner or partners with similar programs and principles. Compromises are based on issues. They are often painful but necessary in order to fulfil the electorate’s mandate. The biggest coalescing party presents the vice chancellor.

In the lawmaking process the government (chancellor and resort ministers) sit in front of the parliamentarians. That way they are obliged to cooperate during the debates in three lectures of a bill. Chancellor and ministers expound their critique, concerns and misgivings on the microphone.

The last wording is submitted to the state chamber, the Bundesrat (federal council). If the thirty-odd members find the bill is against the interest of the states, they send it back to the diet for rewording. The mutually agreed bill goes then to the federal president who signs it ceremoniously into law.

The federal president represents the nation. He is a man of high integrity and respect. He makes sure that the Basic Law is followed in every instance. He receives foreign guests in his chateau. He addresses the nation on particular occasions, encourages, and admonishes. He is elected by the Federal Assembly composed of Bundestag and Bundesrat for five years.

Erich Wannemacher

Lapu-Lapu City