We talked to Nirj Deva, a candidate in the European Parliament's presidential elections. He is fighting for the elections to be democratic and open.

Interview: Who's the next President?

You are a candidate for the Presidency  of the European Parliament.

knowing that most people say  it's done already?

That is why I was not a candidate  but the first candidate.

is going to be a democratic one  and a respected one

and one that has authority  around the world

when we talk about democracy, the rule  of law and constitutional government, etc,

which we do ad nauseam  to developing countries,

then we should have  an election ourselves

and not fix elections in back-room deals.

So when people told me it's all settled  and the next President is so-and-so,

I said, 'Really?  I can't remember voting for anyone.'

So I decided to stand and say,  'Nonsense!'

'We can't have a Parliament  where we don't have elections.'

So what could change with you  as the President of the Parliament,

The deal has been in place  for decades now

between the European People's Party and  the Social Democrats on the other side.

The President of the Parliament,  the Speaker of the Parliament

How can we guarantee  the Parliament's independence

if the Parliament's President  is not independent?

Why don't my colleagues think  about what we are doing sometimes?

We wonder why people  don't give us respect

I was told by a minister in a developing  country: 'Go back to Brussels.'

'Stop being a hypocrite and stop  coming here and telling us what to do,

sanctifying our elections,  saying they are fair and free.'

'It's nonsense. You're a hypocrite.'  I said, 'Why are you saying this?'

He said, 'You don't even elect  the President in your own Parliament.'

'You fix it with deals  like Medvedev and Putin do in Russia,

so where is your moral authority  to come and lecture us?'

So how would you do it?  How would you change the system?

Because you have to impose it.  The two groups...

We will change the system if I'm elected.  I'll make sure that in future

every election for the Presidency  of the Parliament is an election.

the custom that the Speaker of  the European Parliament, the President,

is non-political, i.e. he does not vote.  His voting button is removed.

as the Speaker of the House of  Commons has been for 800 years,

as the Speaker of the Belgian Parliament  has been, and of the German Bundestag.

So why is it that the European  Parliament's President is political?

the Parliament was supposed to be  stronger, more present than before.

We see today that in fact the discussions  are happening behind closed doors...

and this is the beginning  of the reformation.

I wish you good luck for this reform.  Thank you.