Bill to firm Nov polls before Parliament
A Bill to amend Article 112 (4) of the 1992 Constitution to ensure that presidential and parliamentary elections are held on the first Monday of November of every election year has been laid before Parliament.
Advertisement
Known as Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2016, the bill was read for the first time and referred to the Council of State for advice by the Speaker, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, a few minutes after it was laid by the Deputy Attorney-General, Dr Dominic Ayine.
The bill is expected to be deliberated upon by the Council of State for not more than 30 days, after which it will be sent back to the House and then referred to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs for consideration.
After that, a report will be crafted by the committee and presented to the plenary for debate, after which the bill will be passed into law.
Considering the fact that the bill needs to be passed to take effect and make it possible for this year's elections to be held in November, and judging by the fact that time is limited, the House intends to suspend its standing orders to enable it to pass the bill promptly.
For the bill to become law, at least two-thirds of members must support it.
Background
Currently, the date set aside in respect of the conduct of both presidential and parliamentary elections in the country is December 7, while the swearing-in of the elected President is January 7 in the ensuing year.
However, the one-month period for the transition of one government to another has, over the years, proved to be insufficient for a smooth transition, particularly in instances where there is a run-off, as was the case in 2000 and 2008.
Other Trending Stories
In the light of the apparent weakness in the electoral system and following the election petition in 2013, the Electoral Reform Committee was established on January 23, 2015 to propose reforms to the country's electoral system.
The committee comprised representatives of the Electoral Commission (EC).
One of the recommendations made by the committee was a change in the date for the conduct of general elections from December 7 to the first Monday in November in an election year.
The committee specified that the elections should be held on the first Monday in November in an election year in order to have elections on a specific day such as Monday, instead of having elections on a specific date.
A reference was made to the United States of America (USA) where elections are fixed for the second Tuesday of November of an election year.
According to the committee, holding the presidential and parliamentary elections in November would allow for sufficient time between elections and the handover of power to an incoming government.
That would also ensure a smooth transition and reduce acrimony, as well and prevent the chaotic situation where former ministers of state are recalled to provide information for the incoming government on matters of the state.
The committee further stated that the reason for choosing the first Monday of November of an election year as a convenient day for the elections was that having a specific day of the week instead of a specific date would prevent the inconvenience associated with some days of the week which had the tendency of affecting voter turnout such as Friday or Sunday.
Other reasons were that having elections on a Monday would give the EC ample time to prepare by way of transportation and distribution of election materials.
More time for constituents
According to a memorandum to the bill, parliamentary candidates would get more time with their constituents in their constituencies and it would be easier for people who had to travel to their various constituencies on a weekend to cast their ballots on a Monday.