Hi,
These choices are as much politics as engineering. Also the makers have a say in it. So a sensible suggestion from a small firm carries little weight compared to what the large firms are planning or making. Often a lot of those involved sat back and watched the fight and did nothing much.
I was involved in this in the 60's when there were only 6 or 7 countries involved and some countries had three large firms fighting between themselves with the regulator and courts involved. Other countries had experience of just one experimental one that the Govt used and so on. In terms of people it might be lawyers vs engineers vs accountants...
By the late 80's the internal (countries) rows were about the same scale as the international ones in the 60's. Sense didn't come into it. Sometimes even the banks who would finance things would veto the decision afterwards. And then there were the rumours about the security people being involved...
Regards, David