Elections in countries where its transparency is in question often need to "get worse" before it finally improves, a British professor who specialises in political ethics and electoral institutions said today.

 

In an hour long lecture at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, Prof Sarah Birch, from the University of Glasgow, said that people's movement leading to electoral reform comes due to the "episodic" grievances of the people.

 

"Normally, electoral rights are guaranteed on paper. But episodically these rights can be taken away through implementation of the election process, to increase grievances.

"This creates a huge potential for mobilisation," she said.

Birch also said that the first past the post electoral system, which Malaysia uses, is "problematic". She also singled it as the one that is most "convenient" one for an authoritarian government.

 

"The system invites boundary manipulation, it allows a party to retain power for a long time with the support of a minority population.

 

This is because politicians are only required to get to the wining threshold by shifting a few votes strategically.

 
"The manipulation is much more efficient in this system, and those doing it are less likely to get caught," she argued.
 
Influencing electoral institutions

She also said that based on her experience and research, authoritarian or semi-democratic governments are less likely to manipulate voting itself, in manipulating the electoral process.

 
The manipulation instead takes place by influencing electoral institutions, and also by influencing the choice of voters - either by vote buying or intimidation.
 
"They are least likely to manipulate voting itself. Because with the amount of monitoring bodies you have for elections, you will be likely be found out.

"They only do it if they are really desperate - it is not the preferred general malpractice," she said.

Birch said that protests are more "likely" to lead to electoral reforms, because leaders can take heed of what has happened in other countries before them.

 
But she also said that she would not be surprised if talk of changing the first-past-the-post system surfaces in Malaysia.
 
"I would not be surprised if there is a debate to move to a different system," she said.
 
Most European countries practice the proportionate representation system, where the amount votes garnered by a party is proportionate with its Parliament representation. 
 
BN won 133 out of the 222 contested Parliament seats in last year's general elections despite only obtaining 47 percent of the popular vote nationwide.