Abstract: “The authors have found a gap in studies regarding the relation between cohabitation and mixed electoral system in Lithuania and Palestine. Elgie & McMenamin (2011) has argued that cohabitation is less likely to occur when there are few or many parties in electoral system; against this statement, we argue that cohabitation is more likely to occur when electoral fractionalization is high. In the present study, by comparative method among three samples of mixed legislative elections, Lithuanian 1992, Lithuanian 1996 and Palestinian 2006, we find evidence about relation between electoral fractionalization and polarization toward big parties. That relation may explain the likelihood of cohabitations’ electoral conditions.”

Keywords: Sustained democracy, Cohabitation, Mixed electoral system, Duverger low, Palestinian and Lithuanian legislative elections