Besides, this approach might also prevent vote-buying across the country, he said.

The new system would put an end to the saying that “some parties could field an electric pole and still win”, which was insulting to the voting public, Meechai stressed.

The “electric pole” notion is widely used to demonstrate the fact that some voters are so loyal to a party that they will vote for any candidate it fields.

“If all constituency candidates share the same number, not only will there be a higher chance of fraud, but also the voters will not give importance to the individual candidate. As a result, the candidate would feel as though they were the party’s servant,” he said by way of clarification.

“The intention actually is to ensure that the MPs are competent, in parallel with the party’s popularity,” the CDC chief added.

With some having argued that the new approach could confuse voters, Meechai responded that people today were not illiterate or lacking an understanding of politics, unlike in the past.

At least, they should be able to recognise the candidates and their affiliations, in addition to learning about them prior to the vote, he said.