Agreement Close on Majoritarian Election System

Lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties met on February 4 to discuss changing the rule governing the election of majoritarian MPs – one of the demands outlined in a joint memorandum by twelve opposition parties.

Both sides said after the meeting that the talks had been constructive, with the sides displaying a willingness to reach agreement.

The opposition has been calling for the abolition of the first-past-the-post, winner-takes-all system, in which the party that wins the most votes takes all the seats in the constituency, ranging from two to five. Majoritarian MPs constitute a third of the 150-member parliament.

Actual details of the new arrangement have still to be worked out.