Many people think elections are only about voting for an individual candidate. In Nepal, however, there are two types of elections:

Direct elections, and
Proportional Representation (PR) elections

Understanding the difference is important, because both systems work together to form our Parliament.

Direct vs Proportional: The Simple Difference

Direct Election (First-Past-the-Post)

In a direct election, one candidate wins from one constituency.

Think of it like a race:

Many candidates compete
The candidate with the highest number of votes wins
Everyone else loses, even if they received many votes

Only one person represents that area.

Proportional Representation (PR)

Proportional representation works very differently.

Here, political parties receive seats in Parliament based on the percentage of votes they receive nationwide.

A Simple Example

Imagine a large hall with 100 seats.

Direct Election

Each seat is won one by one
Only the top candidate in each area wins

Proportional Representation

If a party receives 20% of the total votes across the country
That party receives 20 out of the 100 seats

In short:

More votes = more seats
Fewer votes = fewer seats

Three Key Things to Know About PR

1️ You Vote for a Party, Not a Person

In proportional representation, you vote for a party’s election symbol (for example, the sun, tree, bell, etc.), not an individual candidate.

2️ The Whole Country Is One Constituency

All PR votes from across Nepal are counted together.

The more votes a party collects nationwide, the more Members of Parliament it can send.

3 Parties Submit a Pre-Prepared List

Before the election, each party submits a closed list of candidates (for example, 110 names) to the Election Commission.

Based on how many seats the party wins:

Candidates are selected from the top of that list, one by one

Voters do not choose individuals from the list—the list order is decided in advance by the party.

Why Does Nepal Use Proportional Representation?

Inclusion and Representation

PR exists to ensure that groups who may not have money, power, or strong local networks still get representation in Parliament, including:

Women
Dalits
Janajatis
Minorities

This system helps bring diverse voices into national decision-making.

Every Vote Counts

In direct elections, votes for losing candidates are effectively wasted.

In PR:

Every vote helps the party gain seats
No vote is meaningless

Even if a party does not win direct seats, its PR votes still matter.

Experts and New Voices

PR allows people who may not contest elections directly—but who have expertise, vision, or national contribution—to enter Parliament, such as:

Doctors
Academics
Professionals
Artists and policy experts

This helps strengthen Parliament beyond traditional politics.

In Short

Direct elections choose individuals
Proportional representation reflects party popularity and social diversity

Both systems together aim to balance local representation, fairness, and inclusion in Nepal’s democracy.

What Do You Think?

Do you believe proportional representation strengthens democracy in Nepal?
Share your thoughts and join the conversation.