PR disaster

A few good picks can’t justify widespread capture of Proportional Representation seats by powerful elites.

Nepalis often respond ambivalently when asked about a pair of systems—the three-tier federalism and the proportional representation electoral model—adopted after Nepal ushered in a federal, inclusive, democratic republic following the success of the 2006 People’s Movement. In principle, they agree that devolving power to sub-national governments is necessary to end the old trend of Kathmandu-centric decision-making. Yet many still see provinces as unnecessary. A similar contradiction can be seen over the PR electoral system. While its broader inclusive framework is widely appreciated for increasing representation across state institutions, lawmakers picked through the PR category are widely resented. This public dislike is not the result of flaws inherent in the system. Rather, it stems from the system’s repeated misuse by political parties in the past 17 years.