Description

Elections function as a fundamental and legitimate means through which citizens exercise their sovereign will in selecting their representatives. Election is one of the most secure and potent mechanisms available to the populace to choose their leaders. A functional and effective democracy relies on the presence of an effective electoral system. Globally, elections have long been regarded as a fundamental mechanism for selecting parliamentary and governmental representatives within institutional frameworks. However, elections must not just be confined to the selection of representatives and the formation of government; they should also build public trust and foster social cohesion, acting as an instrument of unity rather than a source of division. There are many forms of electoral systems prevailing around the world; the majoritarian system of election has prevailed as the only system of election for a long period of time. However, it failed to effectively reflect the will of the minority groups in the parliament. Therefore, a new form of election, called proportional representation, was developed. Whereas the majoritarian and plurality systems in most cases tended to produce a two-party political system, proportional representation encouraged a multiparty political system. As a result, many countries reformed their electoral systems and adopted two of the most widely used proportional representation methods: the d’Hondt and the LR-Hare methods. Nonetheless, the various forms of proportional representation differ in impact, with each offering its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Thus, this article analyses different existing popular electoral systems and examines their shortcomings in ensuring proper representation of the voters.

Keywords: Democracy, Proper Representation, Electoral Systems, Majoritarian System, Proportional Representation.