Captain,

You are right. They will be hand-picked by the party bosses from the “closed list” of the PR candidates submitted to the election commission.

That indeed is a serious flaw of the Nepali version of PR system and I actually have been writing against it in various forums.

In the original version of “closed list” PR system, the list of the candidates is prepared through “primaries”. However, since neither our political parties had enough time for, nor party bosses were interested in internal elections, they went for Gorkhali kaaida- hand picking from the pool.

So, your fear about “opposition vacuum” is still valid.

However, we Nepalis have certain characteristics that make things easier. Like the flexible temperament that you mentioned, we also seem to have ability to make temporary coalition by crossing the isle when necessary. At one point of Madhesi movement, all Madhesi MPs from rival parties (NC, UML, Maoist, Sadbhavana) had stood together.

So that might be provide alternative avenue for “opposition” when necessary.

Nepe