Jersey chief minister 'should be elected by public'

One of Jersey's newest deputies has called for the island's chief minister to be elected by the public.

Currently, the head of Jersey's government is elected by members of the States assembly.

Deputy Sam Mezec won his St Helier seat in a by-election last month on a campaign of political reform.

He said the move would help restore the public's faith in democracy in the island, which he said was at "rock bottom".

'Drastically change'

Deputy Mezec said: "Jersey's democracy is in a permanent state of crisis, and governments with such weak mandates suffer from a lack of legitimacy.

"It is clear that something needs to drastically change."

Meanwhile Deputy Carolyn Labey has called for the positions of chief minister, treasury minister and external relations minister to only be available to senators.

She said she was concerned deputies and constables were not as democratically accountable as senators, who are elected on an island-wide basis.

The States of Jersey government currently has 51 politicians - 10 senators elected island-wide, 12 constables with one elected from each of the 12 parishes, and 29 deputies elected from 17 different constituencies.

At the next election in October, the number of senators is due to fall from 10 to eight.