The UCPN (Maoist) while unveiling its manifesto on Saturday has proposed the multi-member constituency model for all levels of legislative bodies.[break]
Experts said that with the introduction of the Maoist-proposed electoral model, one strong political party can win with overwhelming majority but may stifle small political forces. Under the multi-member constituency system, a district is divided into a number of constituencies but the political party that secures highest votes in the district bags all the seats in the district.
Going by this system, if the Kathmandu district is divided into 10 constituencies, a single political party that secures highest number of popular votes in the district bags all the 10 seats. Even if a political party secures highest votes in any of the constituencies the political party can´t win that seat because all the seats go to the party that secures highest number of votes in the whole of the district.
In those constituencies, political parties announce candidates based on proportional representation of various communities residing in the area and the candidates from the winning political party are considered elected.
UCPN (Maoist) leader Khim Lal Devkota said they proposed the model as it would help reflect the real social composition in parliament. While filing candidacy, the parties have to first allocate 50 percent seats for women and the rest of other seats for male candidates. Then, the parties have to nominate candidates as per the ratio of population in the respective constituencies as shown by the latest census report.
“Under the system, 50 percent constituencies will be allocated exclusively for women. In those areas, only women candidates compete against each other,” said Devkota. “Similar is the case when it comes to representing dalits, ethnic communities and other marginalized groups.”
As per the proportional representation system in practice now, representatives from dalit, women or any other groups can come from any part of the country because the entire country is taken as a single constituency. But under the Maoist-proposed system, a district is taken as a multiple-member constituency and a dalit leader can represent dalit community only in his/her own district.
“Only the creamy layer of the disadvantaged and marginalized communities can benefit under the existing PR system but the new model ensures participation of true representatives from the oppressed communities,” claimed Devkota.
He described the new model as appropriate system also to ensure political stability in the country as it would help a strong political party to secure clear majority in parliament. He argued that Nepal should go for this system as the country is beleaguered by political instability for years.
Tek Prasad Dhungana, legal advisor to the now-dissolved Constituent Assembly, elucidated the electoral model´s merits and demerits.
“This system creates ground for stable political situation and also helps ensure proportional representation of various communities and sections of society,” said Dhungana. “But, under this system, only a few political parties can win parliament seats and a single political party may exercise monopoly in power.” In such a situation, the system may end political diversity and plurality in parliament.
The system was practiced in some other countries including Singapore but opposition parties in those countries are found very weak because a single party emerges as very powerful.
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