#ARGENTINA: Pres. Milei's Reform Bill Passes Lower House

[world politics news]

Argentina’s lower chamber of deputies has given overall approval to libertarian president Javier Milei’s sweeping “omnibus” reform bill in a vote on Friday after days of debate, paving the way for a decisive vote in the Senate.

The controversial reform package was approved on a vote of 144 votes in favor and 109 against.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#AUSTRALIA: Labor Gov't Seeks To Expand Size Of Parliament

[world politics news]

 
The size of the federal parliament could be significantly expanded after the next election, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set to consider whether to follow his hero Bob Hawke in boosting the n of Parliament umber of politicians.

There are growing calls from election experts to increase the number of seats in the House of Representatives because MPs now represent more than triple the people they did at the time of Federation in 1901, and mainland seats are now almost double the size of electorates in Tasmania.

Parliament has not been expanded since the Bob Hawke government in 1984 increased the number of lower house seats from 125 to 148, with redistributions increasing the number to 151 since then.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#GERMANY: Bill Would Shrink Bloated Parliament

[world politics news]

Germany’s parliament is bulging at the seams — and the coalition government wants to put it on a diet.

A new draft law would fix the number of lawmakers in the Bundestag at 630 (down from the current 736.)

“If we don’t change anything, the Bundestag will continue to grow,” Green Party lawmaker Till Steffen told journalists in Berlin. “We want to safeguard the parliament’s ability to act.”

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#AUSTRALIA: Labor Party Will Not Make Republic Referendum A Priority In Election

[world politics news]

Australia's Federal Labor Party is no longer committed to holding a vote on whether Australia should become a republic within its first term of government. 

The party is instead prioritizing a referendum to create an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, which would allow First Nations people a say on policies and laws affecting their communities.

During the last election, the Labor Party set aside $160 million for a plebiscite to determine support for a republic, before a referendum on what model that should take at a later date.

Pictured: Uluru, a large rock formation in Australia's Northern Territory, is sacred to indigenous peoples.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#ITALY: 70% Back Referendum To Cut Size Of Parliament By A Third

[world politics news] 

Italians have voted in a referendum to cut the size of the country's parliament by more than a third. Almost 70% of people voted to support he change, with almost all votes counted.

The number of MPs in the lower house will be reduced from 634 to 400. The senate will also be downsized.

The referendum was pushed by the Five Star Movement, part of the governing coalition, which argued that the move would reduce costs.

[FULL STORY HERE] 

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#JAPAN: Referendum Would Consolidate Osaka Wards

[world politics news]

Five years after voters in the city of Osaka narrowly voted down a referendum on consolidating its 24 wards into five with more autonomy and eliminating the municipal assembly and mayor, another referendum is set for later this year.

The merger is the chief political goal of Osaka Ishin no Kai (One Osaka), the local party founded expressly for that purpose.



[FULL STORY [HEREl]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#UK: Gov't Considers Moving House Of Lords From London To Northern England

[world politics news]

Moving Britain's upper house of parliament to the northern English city of York is one "of a range of things" the government is looking at to "level up" different parts of Britain, Conservative Party chairman James Cleverly said on Sunday.

In last month's national election Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservatives won a swathe of seats from Labour in the traditional northern English heartlands, securing a large majority in parliament. With a view to securing these gains, Johnson has promised to ramp up investment in the north of England, which has suffered decline with the loss of heavy industries and implementation of austerity policies since the financial crisis.

The House of Lords, Britain's unelected upper house of parliament, has the power to block laws but functions mainly as a mechanism to refine and seek revisions to laws that are enacted in the elected House of Commons

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#RUSSIA: Obscure Tax Service Head Named New Prime Minister By Parliament

[world politics news]

The little-known head of Russia's tax service is taking over after the government's shock resignation. The overhaul fueled speculation about President Vladimir Putin's plans for maintaining power after his term ends.

Russian lawmakers approved Russian President Vladimir Putin's nomination for a new prime minister on Thursday, following a series of bombshell announcements including constitutional changes and the resignation of the government.

The State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, voted in favor of Mishustin with 383 votes out of the 424 cast. 41 members abstained.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#RUSSIA: PM And Gov't Resigns, Putin To Reorganize Gov't Structures To Hold Onto Power

[world politics news]

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a major restructuring of government four years ahead of the end of his current term in office. The proposed changes will face a national referendum.

The move to restructure government will be seen as a way for Putin to hold onto power after his term ends in 2024. He has held power in various positions in Russia since 1999.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has announced that the entire government is resigning in a surprise statement released shortly after Putin delivered his annual state-of-the-nation address.

It is believed that Putin will accept the position a leader of the security council, which will have greatly expanded powers under the reforms he's proposing. Medvedev will serve as the council's deputy.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#NIGERIA: Lawmakers Seek To Place Presiding Members On National Security Council

[world politics news]

A bill seeking to include presiding officers of the National Assembly in composition of the National Security Council (NSC) has passed the second reading on the floor of the House of Representatives.

The Council advises the president on matters relating to public security, including matters relating to any organisation or agency established by law to ensure the security of the federation. Lawmakers say presiding members of the legislature should be included on the NSC to help give them more information about security matters in the nation.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#GEORGIA: Legislators Reject Proportional Representation Electoral Reforms

[world politics news]

The Parliament of the Republic of Georgia has rejected the bill on constitutional amendments relating to the electoral system.141 MPs registered for the plenary session. 101 MPs, including opposition lawmakers, supported the bill on the transition to the proportional electoral system. Three MPs voted against the bill, though the required quorum was 113 votes, thus the bill failed in its first reading.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#UKRAINE: Parliament Makes It A Crime For Legislators To Vote By Proxy

[world politics news]

The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, has approved legislation to make it a criminal offense for a legislator to vote on behalf of an absent colleague, locally known as "piano voting." Offending People's Deputies will face stiff fines after it's found they voted on another's behalf.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#PERU: In Attempt At Fresh Start, President Calls For 2021 Elections To Be Moved Up To 2020

[world politics news]

Pres. Martin Vizcarra made a surprise, and drastic, announcement at the end of his address to Congress on July 28. Given the continuous tensions over the past year between the Executive and the majority opposition in Congress, and the rampant corruption within the Congress and its protection of a corrupt judiciary, Vizcarra called for 2021 elections to be moved up to next year, 2020. This would have the effect of ending his term a year early.

Vizcarra became president when corruption-tainted Pres. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski resigned last year.


[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#MALAYSIA: State Legislature Requires Members To Reveal Assets

[world politics news]

The Perak state legislative assembly has approved a motion which compels all assemblymen and their immediate family to declare their respective assets.

The state assembly is the first to follow a similar move by Malaysia's national parliament, where all members, as well as their families, are required to declare their assets.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#EU: European Gov't Wants To Scrap Member State Veto On Tax Policy

[world politics news]

The European Commission has proposed scrapping member states’ veto on tax policy, in a move that could see levies imposed on EU countries against their will.

The EU government in Brussels says the requirement of unanimity for tax policy is out-dated and that moving to a system of qualified majority voting would help speed up the legislative process.

The Irish government immediately spoke out against the proposal. Ireland is a low-tax nation that would be greatly affected by the change.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#JAPAN: Gov't Considers Splitting Massive Health, Labor & Welfare Ministry

[world politics news]

The Japanese government is considering splitting the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, concluding that the mammoth bureaucracy with an extensive portfolio is incapable of responding to the complex needs of an aging society. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party will submit a proposal as early as this month recommending a split, which will be part of a broader government review of its 13 agencies and ministries created through a reorganization 20 years ago.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#GERMANY: Party Head Calls For Term Limits For German Chancellor; Says Merkel Looks "Tired" After 4 Terms

[world politics news]

A chancellor in Germany should stay in power no longer than eight or 10 years, Christian Lindner, the head of the Free Democratic Party, said recently in an interview. Lindner said Chancellor Angela Merkel, 64, who has been the chancellor since 2005, looks "exhausted," and Germany needs a "boost" of youthful leadership. Parliament elects a chancellor for four year terms, but there are no limits on how many terms they may serve. Merkel, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union, is currently in her fourth consecutive term.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#JAPAN: Upper House Passes Bill To Raise Number Of Its Members To 248

[world politics news]

The Upper House of the Legislature, the House of Councillors, has passed an amendment to the election law calling for increasing the number of seats in the upper chamber of Japan’s Diet by six from the current 242. The bill was sponsored by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and passed mostly with votes from its coalition partner, Komeito. The legislation has been sent to the House of Representatives, the powerful lower chamber.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#JAPAN: Group Of Young Lawmakers - Led By Former PM's Son - Calls For Reform Of Nation's Parliament

[world politics news]

A group of young Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers have proposed a set of reforms, for the nation's parliament, the Diet, including creating a special investigation panel to look into questionable government practices. The group - whose members include Shinjiro Koizumi, son of former Prime Minister Junichirō Koizumi - presented the reforms in the wake of alleged favoritism by the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for two school operators.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#GHANA: Parliament Ready To Vote On Creation Of Special Prosecutor's Office

[world politics news]

A bill is being readied in Parliament to create an Office of the Special Prosecutor, which backers say will enable the government deal with issues of corruption, especially among state officials. Under the bill, an independent prosecutor will head the office and prosecute corruption offenses by state officers. It was one of the major promises made by Pres. Akufo-Addo as part of his plans to deal with corruption in government. One of the bill's few critics is former Attorney General Martin Amidu, who says a clause limits the number of crimes covered, and future presidents may interfere with the office. Backers say the bill is deliberately limited to prevent overreach.

[FULL STORY HERE]