Op-ed: Electoral reform in Mauritius must focus on key issues

Choosing the right electoral system in a plural society is a very difficult process as it is never neutral. We need to understand both the flaws of the current system as well as the defects of the proposed solution. It is critical to ask the right questions and seek the right answers. Often, a country cannot choose a perfect system but has to settle for one that is significantly less imperfect than other formulae. The best voting system for a country is not one that satisfies only one criterion completely, but one that provides a fair balance among the different attributes. A prudent approach is to design an electoral system that avoids serious shortcomings. Historical, political, social, cultural, contextual and temporal factors have to be taken into account as the system and any reform do not take place in a vacuum. There are also many risks involved in any change as there can be unintended consequences which are difficult to evaluate at this stage. We need to both back test and future proof the electoral system being adopted.
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