- The AfD advocates for thorough error scrutinization
Following a software mishap in the assignment of seats for the new state parliament in Saxony, the AfD has initiated an examination. "We need to figure out exactly what went wrong," stated Saxony's AfD state and faction leader Jörg Urban, as mentioned in a release. He demanded a detailed breakdown of the error. "Should any anomalies surface, we will take legal action."
This was triggered by an initial software glitch that led to the faulty publication of seat numbers for each party. After scrutiny, the state election committee rectified the seat distribution. Consequently, the AfD will now have one seat less than initially announced. As per the amended figures, the party will have 40 seats and therefore forfeit its so-called veto power. The Saxony state parliament consists of 120 seats.
Urban underlined that no deliberate tampering is suspected. "In this instance, it's about the AfD's political influence in the Saxony state parliament. Any uncertainty regarding the definitive election result must therefore be dismissed."
A veto power implies a party holding over a third of the seats in the state parliament. In such a situation, it can thwart certain state laws requiring a two-thirds majority of all members from being passed. In Saxony, as well as in other federal states, for instance, constitutional judges and the head of the state audit office are elected by a two-thirds majority of all parliamentarians. As a result, certain positions could not have been reappointed without the AfD's approval. Moreover, it could have prevented the state parliament from self-dissolution.
- Despite the software issue leading to a decrease in their seat count, Jörg Urban insisted that there's no suspicion of deliberate manipulation in the 'Election to the Landtag', as he emphasized the importance of the AfD's political influence in the Saxony state parliament.
- The AfD's loss of one seat due to the software error in the 'Election to the Landtag' means they will no longer possess the veto power, which usually grants a party control over certain state laws requiring a two-thirds majority.
