Date: Wed, 28 Sep 1994 13:25:00 +0100 (MET)
From: "Sergio.Flores" <sofs@psychology.su.se>

The Swedish Elections, pt 3.

by Sergio Flores


As Reported previoulsy, the possibilities of electing a gay mp to the 
swedish parliament was high, and the possiblitites of having a cross-over 
government was also. Well it was...

This past elections were somewhat of a social phenomenon in swedish 
history, at one point the possiblity of a womens party arouse and it 
dissapeared to many a people dismay. Tthe idea of the womens party was to 
put some pressure to the existing political parties to take womens issues 
seriouly and more often. The womens party miss their chance to get 
registered for the present elections.

As one the profiles of this party, the journalist and feminist Maria Pia 
Boetius mentioned at one time, this is not a quote " it is not that we 
want a womens party, but it is necessary that the issue of equality gets 
taken seriously one and for all. The need of a womens party should not 
exist because it creates separatism, and that is the last thing we need 
in the parliament, but if we are not taken serioulsy, we will have to do 
something about it". As consequence of this, four of the parties in the 
elections printed ballots with female candidates every other name. The 
parties have took this seriously was the liberal people's party, the 
social democratic party, the left party and the green party. Now its 
consequence will notice even further as for the first time almost half of 
the mp's are women, of 349 seats about 149 are taken by women. This 
definitively will advance the quest for equality in a country which 
always has been at the front on these issues.

Some other news about the elections are the the much awaited coalition of 
the social democrats and liberals was rejected by the social democrats, 
which they got a big boost in this elections taking about 44% of the votes.
 
Ingvar Carlsson, the leader of the social democratic party and future 
prime minister, decided to reject the propossal of the leader of the 
liberal party Bengt Westerberg, an decided to form a minority government, 
that is, they do not hold a majority in the parliament and will have to 
depend on the cooperation of other parties in single issues in order to 
pass laws.

Finaly, the much awaited result in the gay community was the possibility 
of a new gay MP, Mats Sahlin, but the results were not good enough to 
gain him a seat, but he will proably will getting a seat at the stockholm 
city hall, for which he was also a candidate.

Next month a new parliament sesion opens with a new batch of MPs and 
the new government. As the tradition calls, it is inagurated by his majesty 
the king Carl XVI Gustaf.

I mentioned earlier that I will supplying the primeministers e-mail 
address and here it is:

statsministern@sb.gov.se   and address it to Ingvar Carlsson, Primeminister

I as said before, Sweden has a very good record on gay issues, but I 
think that the world gay community can help to improve it. This on it 
turn can put pressure on the world community to clean up their act and 
lets us live our life like any other responsible citizen.