A quota is an allocation
rule through which offices, goods or political functions are distributed in
accordance with a certain formula. A quota system for minority representation
is generally employed in situations where an unregulated distribution would
cause unintentional imbalances and inequalities.[1]
In the case of national
minorities, such imbalances and inequalities could be particularly
destabilizing if the minority contested the legitimacy of the political system.
The institution of a quota in such a situation is aimed at achieving an equal
or more balanced access to political power by applying positive measures.
Regional quotas are among the most commonly applied
quotas. The quota distributes parliamentary seats to representatives of all
regions of a country, not just according to their share of the population, but
giving non-proportional seats to certain regions over others.
Over-representation for certain regions works to the advantage of minority
groups that are concentrated in those parts of the country.
The advantages and
disadvantages of legislated quotas for minority representation are covered in
the file "Advantages and disadvantages of legislated quotas for minority
representation".
Fair minority representation is very often
referred to in the constitution and can be achieved through any of the types of
quotas. The reserved seats system is a widely used quota system to ensure the
representation of minority groups in the legislature by setting aside a certain
share of parliamentary seats for candidates representing the minority group.
Representatives from these reserved seats have in most cases been elected in
the same manner as other representatives, but at times only members of these
minority groups are entitled to vote for their candidates.
[2]
Some countries with clearly defined ethnic or religious groups have taken
minority representation and reserved seats to their logical extreme: all or
almost all seats in the legislature are reserved for specific groups, and only
members of a group can vote for the representatives of their group. Each ethnic
or religious group has a separate voter’s roll. This system has in some cases
been used to try to deal with post-conflict situations. However, in the long
run, systems of communal representation tend to undermine the path of accommodation
between the different groups, given that there are no incentives for political
intermixing between communities. The system also runs the risk of cementing a
constituency situation resulting from ethnic cleansing.
[2] See: Guidelines
to Assist National Minority Participation in the Electoral Process. Published
by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR)
Aleje
Ujazdowskie 19 00-557 Warsaw
Poland
www.osce.org/odihr
©
OSCE/ODIHR 2001, Reprint 2003. See also: Draft Joint Opinion on the
Act on the Elections of Members of Parliament of Hungary. European
Commission for Democracy Through Law (Venice Commission) and OSCE Office for
Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), Opinion No. 662/June
2012. http://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/?pdf=CDL(2012)033-e
