Because the failures of our political rulers led to the economic crisis, Shane Coleman advocates that it is time that the multi-seat constituency system was changed (Comment, 7 February).

I disagree.

Dismantling our PR-STV multi-seat electoral system, is the wrong answer to the questions being asked about the current malaise in our political system.

Any move away from our present electoral system to, for example, list or first-past-the-post systems, would ensure that party apparatchiks will decide who represents us and not the electorate.

If we think that increasing the power of political party insiders to decide who represents us is a good thing we need to think again.

The present problems have resulted from political insiders having too much power and the rest of us being kept in the dark.

Rather than improving the situation interference with the electoral system will make it considerably worse.

Getting the political parties to increase the participation of women in elections, for example, would be a much more fruitful modus operandi than messing about with the electoral system.

It is an obvious solution to the anomaly of having only 13% female TDs, despite 51% of the electorate being women. In addition it would change the situation in which the talents and perspectives of over half of the electorate are are marginalised.

Given the mess created by a nearly 90% male political system it does not seem wise to ignore the talents of women.

A Leavy,

1 Shielmartin Drive,

Sutton,

Dublin 13