how many rounds of voting do we need?

i mean if after all the votes are counted, if (say) maniac has less than half the votes he hasn't won yet. Then you have to eliminate all those who have 0 or 1 votes, and we get a re-vote on that smaller group of candidates.

As Emperor i do of course dissapprove least of election systems which are fair and unbiased, if there was one type of election i would allow it would be fair, and allow each person a proper chance to get elected. (however there isn't a type of election i would allow, so all those who vote are being marked for treatment and re-education in the new Webdiplomacy Imperial Psych ward. Please head to your nearest Imperial representative for transport to at the earliest possible opportunity.)

If you're gonna be a Eurotrash commie and abandon the treasured Anglo-American first past the post system then all we'd need is a runoff between the top two candidates if none of them have a majority of votes cast.

I vote again!

okay...

Maniac wins, 6 to 2!!!

First of all I'd like to thank Thucy for organising this beauty contest. I'd like to thank the electorate which have always decided things with such insight and maturity.

My first act as President is to set a limit on the last person to post thread...2445, whoever posts that post will 'win' the thread and all others will be declared big losers.

Your first act is to turn a farce thread into an undying "WHOEVER POST LAST WINS" thread? Do you want there to be a coup?

I would then like to abdicate from my role of president, I couldn't possibly lead a group of people that could vote me in as their president.

Thank-you - I enjoyed my time in office.

@Invictus - A coup would be good.

I declare myself Chairman of the Provisional Government of webDiplomacy.
As head of the provisional government, I hereby declare the next elections will be organized for the day after the winter solstice of 2012.
By the way, Batman and Superman (who have definitely not been hypnotized) now believe that PLAYdiplamacy is the best website on the world wide web. They are now being sentenced to eternal damnation and will be preoccupied with being damned for the foreseeable future.

bullshit reinstate the rightful president he was kidding about abdicating....
right?
lol

"It is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it... anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job. "
— Douglas Adams

Therefore as the unelected candidate I should be in charge.

lol you just disqualified yourself

Now is the time, Maniacistas! Join together to restore our rightful leader!

webDiplomacy Libre!

Yeh, I love HHG2G contradicitons! I will add that I think the rightful leader is already in power. None of you know who it is but they're pulling the strings and have successfully never been elected, and from what I see not even suggested as a president, thus making them the perfect candidate.
(Hmm, is it bad that I've only just noticed that hitchhikers quote is based on The Republic?)

That is the theory of the provisional government.
1. Find a country without a state
2. Declare yourself head of state before anyone else
Therefore, I am the de jure head of state and figlesquidge is indeed disqualified.

HHG2G?

HHG2G: Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, i presume.

@Figlesquidge, i never noticed the similarity, i'll have to re-read both now.

To the provisional governor: please ensure the proper running of my Imperial state while you are in charge, your replacement in 2012 will have a chance to expierence my warm glowing warming glow, the aura of the his Imperial Majesty will help ensure a fair choice is made.

No its Maniac the rightfully elected leader. All others are pretenders. This should be settled by a game of diplomacy since clearly in the real world this would come to armed conflict.

Four Maniac loyalists and three spots for those who would take control in whatever way they might (except to restore Maniac). The first three to ask for a spot will get one.

I guess I will make the game if the volunteers turn up.
lol

I'll take a loyalist spot, but I suggest the odds should be switched to four pretenders and three Maniacistas.

nah, because Maniac is the incumbent. The onus is on the pretenders to knock him out of power.

The provisional government endorses imperial authority as most ceremonial, official, de jure, constitutional and all-powerful government branch. As Chairman, I now draw the draft of the constitution of the state. Currently:

I: The Forums of webDiplomacy shall hereby be known as the Empire of webDiplomacy.
II: His imperial majestic highness is Emperor orathaic, who as eternal ruler shall guide webDiplomacy in the most ceremonial, official, de jure, constitutional and all-powerful manner.
III: Elections are to be organized by His imperial majestic highness, the Emperor, for the day after the winter solstice of 2012.
IV: The de jure Chairman of the Empire of webDiplomacy is JECE. JECE is the absolute head of state of the Empire of webDiplomacy.
V: Imperial webDiplomacy is an official informal alternative of the Empire of webDiplomacy.

Orathic - Sorry, I just mean that bit - the actual texts aren't that similar! Infact, they're very very different indeed. Can't think of anything literary that could really be deemed the ancestor of Hitchhikers. I guess that Catch-22 would probably be closest?

Shotgun next election!