2001 Robloxian parliamentary election

The 2001 Robloxian parliamentary election was held on 12 April 2001 to elect members of the Parliament. For the first time, registered voters crossed into the hundred-million mark, more than 102 million, compared to the previous election where it had a little more than 98.8 million. Turnout, however, was 69.54%, down from 81% in the previous election. This election took place at a highly challenged political atmosphere and political polarization, resulting in only 11 parties being represented in the Robloxian Council.

The 1999 election resulted in an upset victory for the Democratic Bloc, with only a slim majority to keep the government afloat. However, less than 7 months later, the Democratic Bloc lost its majority after a by-election in the constituency of West Stirling, which was won by Ken Saddle, a member of the Party of the People. It therefore agreed to a confidence-and-supply agreement with the Independence Party, and it was unpopular among the members of the Democratic Bloc. However, increasing calls for resignation and a planned motion of no confidence forced Ganer to request David Davre for the Robloxian Council to be dissolved.

Left Bloc, with a centralized leadership under a veteran Socialist Pierre Duschette, campaigned for a larger minimum wage, labor rights enshrined in the Constitution and the law, stronger economy, and increased integration with the Union of Virtual Countries. Democratic Bloc, however, ran a series of attack ads against the Left Bloc, most notably their leftist programs, and campaigning for further staunch reforms. Opinion polls suggest that the Left Bloc will win the mandate to form a government.

Left Bloc won the elections since the formation of the coalition, and ended 27 years of Democratic-Liberal rule. Ganer herself lost her riding and conceded defeat, and the first Duschette cabinet would be sworn in 3 months after the election.

Electoral system
The system to elect to parliamentarians is by first-past-the-post vote - the Central Election Commission is responsible on drawing constituencies of the Robloxian Council. The status of being a virtual republic means that there are 4,274 constituencies around the world, and 226 constituencies in-game. This resulted in coalitions and parties limiting their field of candidates, or one party contributing to the coalition. In first-past-the-post, the candidate that gets a plurality of votes is automatically elected to the Parliament.

Although it has been suggested that a two-round system would be used for the subsequent elections, the amended law was rejected by the Robloxian Council during a session on 17 June 2000.

1999 elections
The 1999 elections were one of the most dramatic of all Robloxian elections, as the Democratic Bloc won the most seats but lost in the popular vote, once again attaining a majority of seats. Duschette therefore conceded defeat. The victory of the Democratic Bloc failed to be predicted by opinion polls.

Ganer herself stated that it was not a big victory, party members weren't surprised, and several suggested that the formation of a Left Bloc government was impossible to be avoided in the next elections.

Programs and popularity
The 1999 election took place in the midst of the economic crisis experienced by Robloxians, with the economy contracting even further. Despite austerity measures, Ganer failed to win any support on her party members. The popularity on the Democratic Bloc-led government fallen, and the Left Bloc surpassed the Democratic Bloc on the opinion polls.