The parliament apart, the whole political system needs to undergo an overhaul
JUNE 11
Just two elections after the new constitution was promulgated in 2015, former prime minister and Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba has talked of changing the electoral system in the country.
At a meeting of the party's cadres in Kathmandu the other day, he called for electing members of the House of Representatives (HoR) through the firstpast-the-post (FPtP) system while electing members of the National Assembly (NA), or Upper House, through the proportional Representation (PR) system.
At present, 165 HoR members are elected through the FPtP while 110 members, or 40 per cent, are elected through the PR system. Of the 59 NA members, 56 are elected by an electoral college comprising HoR members and province assembly members.
Of late, the PR system has come under fire from the general public, with members elected under it comprising wives, relatives and close confidants of the party honchos rather than giving space to deserving women and people from the marginalised communities as per the spirit of the constitution of empowering them.
The mixed election system was adopted in the constitution as an agenda of the Madhesi and Janajati groups to promote inclusion in Nepal's political system dominated by the Khas-Arya group. However, the PR system has been anything but inclusive, and instead it has invited political instability, with Nepal likely to see a hung parliament election after election. Secondly, those MPs elected under the PR system find themselves treated like second-class lawmakers, who seem to be present in the House to only do the bidding of their respective parties during the voting process, nothing more. They stay largely silent, with them taking no active part in the House discussions.
Moreover, unlike the HoR members elected through the FPtP, they receive no constituency development fund, which amounts to Rs 50 million the next fiscal year.
The Nepali Congress alone cannot wish changes in the electoral system, as the constitution needs to be amended first, for which the agenda should be supported by the other political parties. If the NA members are to be picked under the PR system, as mooted by Deuba, then this must be done in the true spirit of inclusion and empowerment of the marginalised communities. There are plenty of good people from different communities who have made outstanding contributions for the nation's cause who deserve a berth there. The Vice President could head the NA.
And it is not just in the federal parliament that change is required, the whole political system might need to undergo an overhaul. It is now apparent that the country cannot move forward under the current constitution, which has fomented trouble in every sphere. The provincial assemblies, with their 550 members – 330 elected under the FPtP and 220 under the PR system – are becoming a big financial burden on the state coffers. Moreover, the members seem to be doing nothing or at best duplicating the works of the local levels or the Chief District Officer.
Hence, the provincial assemblies must go for good.
There is plenty of time before the next election for the parties to mull over an electoral system that really works for the country.
A version of this article appears in the print on June 12, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.