KATHMANDU, Feb 13: Although the provision of proportional representation (PR) category was introduced in the constitution to ensure the representation of backward and marginalized communities in the parliament, political parties have been found grossly misusing the provision. The parties have repeatedly recommended the names of the leaders from the elite class as many as four times, against the spirit of inclusive representation.
At least 27 lawmakers have been time and again recommended to the House of Representatives (HOR) from the major three political parties under the PR category.
Interestingly, Nepali Congress (NC) leads the list of parties reappointing the same leaders under the PR category. Of the total 40 candidates nominated by the NC under the PR category, 17 leaders were members of the erstwhile parliament.
Gross Misuse of PR System
Sujata Koirala, Chitra Lekha Yadav, Dipsikha Sharma Dhakal, Mahendra Kumari Limbu, Mina Subba, Sujata Pariyar, Minakshi Jha, Man Bahadur BK, Min Biswakarma and Umesh Shrestha have been able to make it to the parliament for two consecutive times under the PR category.
Similarly, Jeep Tsiring Lama, Pramila Rai, Hira Gurung, Mina Pandey, Laxmi Pariyar, Bimala Nepali were also lucky enough to make it to the parliament again under the PR category. Contractor Lama has been appointed under the reservation seat for indigenous ethnic community.
NC leader Radheshyam Adhikari, who was recently elected to the upper house, has become a member of parliament for four times without contesting direct election.
NC leaders Sita Devi Yadav, Bal Krishna Khand, Bahadur Singh Lama, Parbati DC Chaudhary, Padma Narayan Chaudhary, Gyan Kumari Chantyal opted for PR category rather than contesting the election because it ensures high chance of being appointed a lawmaker.
Some leaders including Pushpa Bhusal, Dilendra Prasad Badu have also chosen the PR category after losing in 2013 CA election. Kishor Singh Rathoor, Dila Sangraula, Sarbat Ara Khan, Prakash Rasaili are the only leaders to debut in the parliament.
CPN-UML has repeated only one leader under the PR category from the preceding parliament, while electing 41 leaders under the PR list. However, it has included six leaders from 2008 CA in the current federal parliament under the PR category including Tham Maya Thapa, Radha Gyawali, Binda Pandey, Ramprit Paswan, Shanta Chaudhary and Shanti Maya Pakhrin. Against the party's policy of not repeating PR lawmakers from the preceding parliament, Ganga Chaudhary is the only exception as she had joined the UML just before the poll from the Tahurat Tarai Party.
CPN (Maoist Center) has elected only four leaders from the preceding parliament or 2008 CA. Former Minister Rekha Sharma has become the luckiest leader to be elected for the second consecutive term. Similarly, Maoists have also reappointed Satya Pahadi, Yasodha Subedi Gurung and Amrita Thapa under the PR category from the 2008 CA.
