Analyst suggests following Sweden’s approach to snap elections

 In Sweden, administrations elected in snap polls can only serve out the initial government's term rather than receive a new five-year mandate.

The next general election is only due by February 2028, but snap polls cannot be ruled out due to strained ties between Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional.

PETALING JAYA:

A political analyst has suggested that Malaysia emulate Sweden’s approach to snap elections by barring the in-coming administration from serving a full five-year mandate.

Zainal Abidin Sanusi of the International Islamic University Malaysia said federal and state governments elected in an early election should be allowed only to serve out the remainder of the initial administration’s five-year term.

In Sweden, general elections for a fresh parliamentary term are held once every four years.

Zainal Abidin Sanusi.

Zainal said the model would curb the tendency to dissolve Parliament or state assemblies early for tactical reasons, noting that such moves only breed political instability.

“If an early dissolution doesn’t provide for a new term, there would be less motivation to call for snap elections.

“So there would be no need to legally bar snap elections. It would suffice just to get rid of the ‘reward’ of a fresh term,” he told FMT.

Zainal believes that most, if not all, political parties would support this amendment to the federal and state constitutions, as it would bind them equally. As an example, he pointed to the bipartisan agreement for the federal anti-hopping law, enacted in 2022.

The next general election is only due by February 2028, but it has been speculated that snap polls will be held later this year due to increasingly strained ties between Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional.

Last week, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his government should be given time to fulfil its mandate and complete its term.

Having clashed in the Johor polls, PH and BN are going up against each other once again in Negeri Sembilan. BN has also reached an electoral pact with Perikatan Nasional for the Aug 1 polls, further affecting ties with PH.

Fixed-Term Parliament Act’s weaknesses

Zainal said Sweden’s approach differed from past proposals for a Fixed-Term Parliament Act, which does not allow for any snap election, adding that this posed the risk of leaving a government paralysed.

He pointed out that the UK enacted such a law in 2011 before abolishing it in 2022.

“They abolished it due to the impasse over Brexit, which left the government unable to (pass legislation due to a lack of parliamentary support) yet also unable to dissolve Parliament to call for fresh elections,” he said.

Mazlan Ali.

On the other hand, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Mazlan Ali backed having a Fixed-Term Parliament Act, saying it would minimise political instability caused by calls for snap elections.

He pointed out that such calls usually grow following big victories in state elections, with political parties hoping to ride on that momentum at the federal level.

However, Mazlan said enacting such a law would give the impression that Anwar’s government desperately wants to cling to power. “While it is a good idea, I do not think that it can be implemented right now.” - FMT