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Proportional representation

KEY IDEAS
• Proportional representation (PR) is a widely used electoral system.
• Guyana is the only Commonwealth Caribbean country which uses the
proportional representation system.

GLOSSARY
Proportional representation: An electoral system that gives all parties
representation in parliament in direct proportion to the percentage of votes they
gain.

. How proportional representation works

- In the proportional representation (PR) system the electorate votes for political
parties and not candidates. Therefore there is no need to divide the country into
constituencies.
- Each political party puts up a national list in which the names of the candidates
appear in order of preference, based on the number of seats in parliament, and
invites the electorate to vote for the party.
- Seats in parliament are allocated to each party in direct proportion to the
percentage of votes it gains.

- Candidates are chosen to sit in parliament by the party officials based on the
order in which their names appear on their party's election list. For example, if a
party is allocated ten seats the first ten candidates on the list will sit in parliament.

. Elections in Guyana
- Guyana is divided into ten administrative regions. The country holds both
general and regional elections simultaneously under the proportional
representation system.