[Reader-list] Electoral democracies ....

[Yazad Jal]

Austria's general election: The revival of the mainstream right
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=1469609

"Mr Schüssel's party jumped into first place for the first time since 1966,
with 42% of the vote. But with 79 of parliament's 183 seats, his People's
Party still needs a coalition partner. "


The above fragment caught my eye. No party in any general elections in India
has ever got 42% of the vote. The closest was Rajiv Gandhi in 1984 with 41%.
But Rajiv swept 80% of the seats in parliament with his 41% vote. Schlussel
in Austria gets only 43% of the seats and has to look for a coalition
partner!

-yazad