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For transparent tools in popular votes

A lively debate, as echoed in the daily newspapers, was held in late August 2008 at the Grand Council of Geneva to enforce the historic right to see the popular polls conducted and operated under democratic control, or potentially under the eyes of the public. The wisdom gained with the acceptance of general principle and the refusal of poorly made achieving.
The case is not closed and will reappear sooner or later, both at Geneva -following the eventual acceptance or not of the constitutional amendment, with the resumption of discussions around the inevitable application bill- and in other Swiss cantons that are all going to prepare for the introduction of electronic voting - under pressure from the Federal Council and the Swiss abroad lobby.

However, it appeared an exceptional opportunity in the federal policy arena to advance the right of politicians and citizens to observe the democratic means used in popular votes, so as to bring back the highly needed democratic transparency in the prospective electronic voting systems.

Among the protagonists of the movement toward electronic voting (evoting), the usage is to do a "hide game" and the trend is to use software closed, maintained obscure toward the citizens ("black boxes", even if sometimes it is state owned). While the concerned pilote cantons lock software used to collect or cast ballots, with the agreement without further discussion of other users* cantons, the Confederation (for subsidiarity) admits the occultation made yet against the citizens who are primarily concerned.
    (*) Basel, Vaud, Valais, Freiburg, etc have announced the resumption or evaluation of a pilot (hided) for their constituents.

In addition to this withholding of information on the principles of functions (static control), it is also the effective operation itself of this system that does not result in satisfactory continuous scrutiny* (or dynamic control), or obtaining insurance* of good end of each vote, by citizens or their delegates.
    (*) Without undermining-of course-the guarantee of secret, anonymity of the voter and confidentiality of its ballot.

To counter this perversion of the democratic ballot, and because the historical development has always been towards greater universal control of fairness, it is necessary to clog the last hole in federal law by placing as mandatory the publication and transparency of the means used in the popular vote.
The result will require to open to public viewing all software used in the primary treatment of votes, especially the now very next electronic voting systems (evoting).

To this effect, an MPP* has submitted, the 03 October 2008, a parliamentary initiative to the National Council (swiss parlement), under number 08.486 (French). This initiative will be studied by the relevant parliamentary committee (10th committee), if it accepts it, the initiative will also be treated by the sister committee of the Council of States, and finally, if also accepted, it will be debated in the Plenum of the two Councils.
   (*) J.Zisyadis, Workers Party, Greens group.

To force the use of universally available software (OSS) in the treatment of votes, to force the implementation of systems continuously controllable ( "white box" or "clear box") and especially in any future implementation of electronic voting systems, we invite you now to inform your network of relationships on this important issue for democracy and political rights, and to contact and encourage them to contact politicians to raise their awareness and encourage them to support this constitutional initiative without any partisan spirit, but for the good of the sovereign people.

The more the members.of the swiss federal parliament (National Council or Council of States), specially the members of the Political Institutions Committee (the 10th committee, PIC-NC and PIC-CS), will receive a lot of positive signals from their colleagues and the citizens, the more they will measure the interest of the Swiss people to vote for transparent and verifiable means for the popular votes, the more they will evaluate the importance of supporting this additional constitutional, so crucial to our democracy.
   - The list of members of the CIP-CN with their email addresses here.

The original text of the parliamentary initiative is available (French text) as HTML (or alt. PDF).

Three introductory and motivational documents are available at the addresses below, in French (PDF or HTML) and English :
Title and description
PDF
Format PDF
HTML
Format WWW
English Translations

Introduction to the need for the transparency of the voting means, with -as a real case illustration- the commented recall of the Geneva project that seeks the inclusion in its cantonal legislation of the secrecy of the software used, while a court recognized the legitimate interest of every citizen to scrutinize it.
-
20080916_1515.html 20080916_1515.html
The minimum criteria required for a present days democratic voting  - including transparency.
For each criterion, the references in federal law are provided ... except for the transparency that is just missing any explicit requirement!
20080705_2125.pdf
20080705_2125.html 20080705_2125.html
Federal electronic voting pilots are confronted to the principles of democratic vote - with a total lack of transparency and the consequences arising therefrom in the quality of the outcome ...
20080723_2216.pdf
20080723_2216.html 20080723_2216.html

To facilitate your contacts with the members of the first committee which will examine the constitutional initiative (the 10th, Political Institutions Committee, National Counsil), you will find below the list with a link to the website page of the Swiss parliament, which contains contact information, as well as their email address.

You can, for example, write to them this simple little email:
I feel concerned, as a citizen, by the extent of the use of means of voting consistent with the public scrutation, an universal scrutiny is necessary to maintain the confidence of the electorate, I invite you to support the parliamentary initiative number 08,486 which intend to introduce in the federal constitution the mandatory disclosure, transparency and observability of all the general procedures and essential means used in a popular vote.
You will find various informations at http://www.kroepfli.ch/en/Initv_Z_Transparence_vote.html

You can also, of course, contact advantageously other politicians also member of the Swiss parliament (National Council or Council of States), or even members to various cantonal councils, or members of their executive bodies or cantonal or federal party.


Members of the Political Institutions Committee (10th c.)

Presentation of the commission and list of members of the National Council and the Council of States : http://www.parlament.ch/f/kommissionen/ko-kommissionen/ko-legislativkommissionen/kom_11_24/Pages/index.aspx
Details of the Committee of the National Council : http://www.parlament.ch/Poly/Adressen_RM/kommmitglieder_nr_spk.pdf
Details of the Committee of the Council of States : http://www.parlament.ch/Poly/Adressen_RM/kommmitglieder_sr_spk.pdf

Political Institutions Committee of the National Council :

Président
Pfister Gerhard - Nationalrat Kanton Zug
Christlichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz (CVP)
http://www.parlament.ch/f/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=1109
gpfister@gmx.ch

Vice-président
Perrin Yvan - Conseiller national Canton : Neuchâtel
Union Démocratique du Centre (UDC)  
http://www.parlament.ch/f/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=1145
yvanperrin@neuch.ch

Brunner Toni - Nationalrat Kanton St. Gallen
Schweizerische Volkspartei (SVP)
http://www.parlament.ch/F/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=307
brunner@svp.ch

Donzé Walter - Nationalrat Kanton Bern
Evangelische Volkspartei der Schweiz (EVP)
http://www.parlament.ch/F/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=797
walter.donze@parl.ch

Engelberger Edi - Nationalrat Kanton Nidwalden
Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz (FDP)  
http://www.parlament.ch/F/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=318
edi.sen@engelbergerdruck.ch

Fehr Hans - Nationalrat Kanton Zürich
Schweizerische Volkspartei (SVP)
http://www.parlament.ch/F/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=319
hans-fehr@hans-fehr.ch

Fluri Kurt - Nationalrat Kanton Solothurn
Freisinnig-Demokratische Partei der Schweiz (FDP)  
http://www.parlament.ch/F/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=1122
kurt.fluri@egs.so.ch

Geissbühler Andrea Martina - Nationalrätin Kanton Bern
Schweizerische Volkspartei (SVP)  
http://www.parlament.ch/f/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=3880
---

Gross Andreas - Nationalrat Kanton Zürich
Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz (SP)
http://www.parlament.ch/F/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=97
info@andigross.ch

Heim Bea - Nationalrätin Kanton Solothurn
Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz (SP)
http://www.parlament.ch/F/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=1156
bea.heim@parl.ch

Hiltpold Hugues - Conseiller national Canton : Genève
Parti radical-démocratique suisse (PRD) 
http://www.parlament.ch/F/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=3888
hugues@hiltpold.org

Humbel Näf Ruth - Nationalrätin Kanton Aargau
Christlichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz (CVP) 
http://www.parlament.ch/F/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=1071
ruth.humbel@santesuisse.ch

Hutter-Hutter Jasmin - Nationalrätin Kanton St. Gallen
Schweizerische Volkspartei (SVP)  
http://www.parlament.ch/F/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=1121
info@jasminhutter.ch

Joder Rudolf - Nationalrat Kanton Bern
Schweizerische Volkspartei (SVP)
http://www.parlament.ch/F/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=478
rudolf-joder@joder.ch

Leuenberger Ueli - Conseiller national Canton : Genève
Parti écologiste suisse (PES) 
http://www.parlament.ch/F/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=1065
ueli.leuenberger@parl.ch

Marra Ada - Conseillère nationale Canton : Vaud
Parti socialiste suisse (PSS)
http://www.parlament.ch/f/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=3923
ada.marra@bluewin.ch

Meyer-Kaelin Thérèse - Conseillère nationale Canton : Fribourg
Parti démocrate-chrétien suisse (PDC)  
http://www.parlament.ch/f/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=435
therese.meyer@freesurf.ch

Moret Isabelle - Conseillère nationale Canton : Vaud
Parti radical-démocratique suisse (PRD) 
http://www.parlament.ch/f/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=1346
info@isabelle-moret.ch

Schibli Ernst - Nationalrat Kanton Zürich
Schweizerische Volkspartei (SVP)
http://www.parlament.ch/f/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=820
---

Schmidt Roberto - Nationalrat Kanton Wallis
Christlichdemokratische Volkspartei der Schweiz (CVP) 
http://www.parlament.ch/f/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=3905
roberto.schmidt@leuk.ch

Stöckli Hans - Nationalrat Kanton Bern
Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz (SP)
http://www.parlament.ch/f/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=1267
hans.stoeckli@biel-bienne.ch

Tschümperlin Andy - Nationalrat Kanton Schwyz
Sozialdemokratische Partei der Schweiz (SP)
http://www.parlament.ch/f/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=3829
andy-tschuemperlin@parl.ch

Wobmann Walter - Nationalrat Kanton Solothurn
Schweizerische Volkspartei (SVP)  
http://www.parlament.ch/f/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=1142
info@walter-wobmann.ch

Zisyadis Josef - Conseiller national Canton : Vaud
Parti Suisse du travail (PdT) 
http://www.parlament.ch/f/Suche/Pages/biografie.aspx?biografie_id=241
josef.zisyadis@parl.ch