Dual-Mandate of Persons Who Serve as MPs and Mayors at the Same Time

Abstract

The incompatibility of the function at the state and local levels is defined to prevent exercising a dual mandate and other forms of conflict of interest to secure self-government in local communities. The discussed positions of dual- or even triple-mandate officials are neither unconstitutional nor unlawful in themselves, yet they relate to the incompatibility of interest roles these dual-mandate or triple-mandate officials simultaneously play. The inability of the National Assembly to regulate the issue of the incompatibility of the function in accordance with the basic principles in the state (balance of powers, local self-government autonomy, representative democracy) leads us to the conviction that, for the time being, the parliamentary lobby power is too great, whereas the political culture of the public is too weak to prevent the further steps of the legislator. An important aspect of the incompatibility of the function lies in the fact that individuals should be aware that performing the multiple functions, obtained in elections, is not a privilege, but it is a commitment and duty to perform the functions well and with dedication. The paradox is that an individual who is aware of this does not need any rules on the incompatibility of the function at all.
 
 KEY WORDS: • incompatibility of the function • mandate • National Assembly Members • mayor • deputy mayor • local self-government • separation of powers • Slovenia

Party Nomination Strategies in Flexible-List PR: Which Candidate Characteristics Lead to Realistic Positions?

“…33 On the other hand, the negative consequences are that multiple-office holders do not have enough time to perform effectively in each role 34 ; they concentrate power 35 and they are easier to corrupt. 36 The main problem is a conflict of interest, which directly results from holding multiple seats 37 ; this is directly related to pork-barrel politics, a situation where a politician prioritises an area in which she/he has a certain interest. 38 It is thus important to find out whether candidates with more seats have a better chance of succeeding in gaining a realistic position in parliamentary elections.…”

Definice, příčiny a důsledky kumulace mandátů zákonodárci

“…Angličtina využívá hned několika termínů. Pro Spojené státy americké je tradiční pojem dual mandate (dvojitý mandát), ve Velké Británii se lze setkat s výrazem double jobbing (dvojitá práce) (Zagorc 2009). Ani v jedné z těchto dvou anglosaských zemí však není fenomén kumulace mandátů příliš rozšířený a termíny jsou navíc při důsledné aplikaci prakticky nepoužitelné, protože zcela opomíjejí možnosti držení více než dvou mandátů (Navarro 2009: 14).…”

Slovenia

“…After several unsuccessful attempts by the National Assembly to separate the roles of mayors and MPs (see Zagorc 2008), a new bill on MPs was again presented. The bill failed once more, in spite of the ruling coalition agreeing to pass it; obviously many mayors, including those from the ruling parties (24 out of 90 MPs simultaneously hold the office of mayor), prioritised their own personal and local interests over their party's preferences.…”