By Our Reporter
The proportional representation (PR) electoral system introduced in Nepal was meant to ensure the representation of the people from the marginalised and underrepresented communities in state organs. Under the PR system, 40 per cent of the lawmakers in the House of Representatives and Provincial Assemblies get elected. The provision, however, has been misused by the political parties and their chairs right from the time of the first Constituent Assembly by nominating their wives, daughters, daughters-in-law, brothers, and those who pay them.
This time, the political parties misused the PR system excessively by nominating and appointing wives and sisters of powerful party leaders, controversial persons, businessmen and leaders capable to contest elections but unpopular in the masses.
Prime Minister and Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba himself nominated his wife Arzu Rana as a member of the House of Representatives. Probably, nowhere in the world, the First Lady makes it to the parliament in such an unethical way.
Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand also nominated his wife Manju Khand in the HoR. But the voters in Rupandehi punished him for the unethical job by defeating him in the election to the HoR. PM Deuba picked Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat, the unpopular face of the party, to the HoR under the PR category. It is widely believed that the NC lost at least one million PR votes because of the inclusion of Rana, Khand and Mahat in the PR list.
UML chair KP Sharna Oli has even picked Ek Nath Dhakal, chairman of Parivar Dal, as its member in the House probably because of the money Dhakal provided to him. Dhakal is a Christianity campaigner and he was the key man in holding the controversial “Holy Wine” meet in Kathmandu four years ago. Moreover, Oli gave more priority to newcomers in the PR category. He also picked the sister of party general secretary Shankar Pokharel for the HoR.
Janata Samajwadi Party leader Ashok Rai picked his wife Sushila Shrestha in the House of Representatives under PR.
Those who got nominated to the provincial assemblies are also either relative of the party leaders or close to them.
The leaders also flouted the provision of clusters while picking the members for the HoR. Marwaris were picked from the Madhesi cluster while the serial number of the list were breached in some cases.
Moreover, more leaders from the elite classes have been elected under PR since it was introduced to bring the leaders of the backward communities into the parliament. Pashupati Shumsher Rana, Bimalendra Nidhi, and Abmbika Basnet made it to the HoR but not the Muslims of Bara and Paswans of Parsa!
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