Have we reached a ceiling on foreign voters?

(JB) A political party has defended its efforts to encourage foreign residents to register to vote, suggesting that a voter ceiling has been reached.

LSAP candidates said they did everything possible to make foreign nationals living in Luxembourg aware of their right to vote in this year's communal election.

Their comments come several days after intense criticism from immigrant workers group ASTI at all political parties and communes.

LSAP deputy Alex Bodry said: “I find it unfair that ASTI has criticised political parties and communes for not focusing their efforts. We have done a lot of work. In the commune of Dudelange we have sent out literature in several languages and held meetings in cafés, bars and community centres to encourage people to sign up. But, despite the approach, we have not had huge numbers signing up. In Differdange, perhaps we had just 100 new names on the list.

"I wonder if we've reached a ceiling in terms of signing up new voters. It might not be possible to pierce the foreign resident community any further with this campaign. In a lot of countries a lot of people don't take part in elections. People are less involved in politics in their home countries, so it goes without saying, they keep the same attitude here.”

Calling “Speak” meetings of small groups of people in bars, cafés and community groups as well as holding sessions at train stations, the political group claims it focused its efforts on taking politics to the people.

Their aim was to get foreign nationals living in Luxembourg for five or more years to register to vote before the deadline.

The efforts formed part of a government-led campaign, which was criticised by ASTI for its lack of cohesion, slow pace and high costs.

LSAP candidate David Foka defended the pace of the LSAP's campaign, which began in 2009 but could not reach the non-EU foreign national group until they were given the right to be included in the electorate under a law passed in February 2010.

He suggested that the signing-up process, which requires evidence of five years' residency in the country, proved time-consuming for some and even proposed an extension of the signing-up deadline.

Lastly, the political group highlighted crucial feedback given by potential voters who did not wish to vote because they were put off by the fact that, once regsitered, they would be obliged to vote or face a fine.

Mr Bodry said: “After discussing it with a lot of residents we realised that it creates something of a barrier which people can't get past. That's part of our constitution and it remains a question to discuss and to see what happens.”