Abuse of PR system in Nepal fuels instability ahead of polls: Analysts
Several Nepali Congress leaders, including Arzu Rana Deuba, wife of party president Sher Bahadur Deuba, and spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat, entered parliament multiple times through PR after losing FPTP elections
Concerns are mounting over the continued abuse of the proportional representation (PR) system as Nepal heads for parliamentary elections on 5 March next year, which analysts say has entrenched nepotism, weakened democracy, and undermined political stability.
The 275-member House of Representatives has 165 directly elected seats and 110 chosen through PR, a system introduced in 2006 to ensure inclusivity in politics, reports Nepal News.
However, over the past elections, political parties have repeatedly used PR to bring in loyalists, relatives, wealthy individuals, and candidates who failed in direct contests.
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Critics say this practice has reshaped entire parties into clusters of factional influence, leaving voters increasingly disillusioned.
Nepal News' review of PR lists from past assemblies shows the same names reappearing, often tied to top leaders. Several Nepali Congress leaders, including Arzu Rana Deuba, wife of party president Sher Bahadur Deuba, and spokesperson Prakash Sharan Mahat, entered parliament multiple times through PR after losing first-past-the-post (FPTP) elections.
Similar patterns exist in the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), where MPs like Eknath Dhakal and Amritlal Rajbanshi were elected through PR even after switching parties.
The problem arose because internal party democracy is weak. Leaders are not accountable for their choices, which has led to misuse of proportional representation
Industrialist Binod Chaudhary, Nepal's only billionaire, also became an MP twice via PR — once with the UML and later with the Nepali Congress.
Analysts argue that such cases highlight how the system has been captured by elites instead of promoting marginalised groups it was designed to empower, according to the Nepal News report.
"The problem arose because internal party democracy is weak. Leaders are not accountable for their choices, which has led to misuse of proportional representation," told Nepal's Democratic Resource Center Director Chandrashekhar Parajuli to the online news portal.
Factional leaders' dominance over PR lists has not only eroded public trust but also fuelled unrest, most visibly during the recent Gen Z movement. Protesters accused parties of blocking grassroots voices in favour of entrenched elites. The crisis ultimately contributed to the dissolution of the parliament on 12 September on the recommendation of the Sushila Karki-led interim government.
Observers warn that unless parties commit to using PR as intended — to represent women, marginalised groups, and communities historically excluded from power — instability will persist.
"Only in the first Constituent Assembly was proportional representation used properly. After that, loopholes were exploited," said Ganesh Bishwakarma, secretary of Nepal's Unified Socialist Party.
According to the report, with voting less than six months away, the credibility of the election hinges on whether Nepal's major parties resist the temptation to again stack PR lists with insiders. Failure to do so, analysts caution, risks deepening political cynicism and undermining the inclusive democracy the system was meant to build.
