‘Submit electoral reform views up to January 10’

A statement issued yesterday by the parliamentary secretariat said that the clerk to the National Assembly was inviting stakeholders to set out their views for five days inclusive, from January 6 to 10.

The views need to be delivered to the parliamentary secretariat by that time, as the bills were read and published back in November and referred to the committee to hear the views of concerned sections of the public, as stipulated in standing orders 97(1), it said.

The relevant bills are the National Electoral Commission Bill 2023, the Political Parties Affairs Laws (Amendment) Bill 2023 and the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Governments Elections Bill, 2023.

The bill on political parties’ affairs proposes to amend the Election Expenses Act, Cap. 278 and the Political Parties Act, Cap. 258 to strengthen the role of the Registrar of Political Parties in monitoring activities of political parties as well as strengthening compliance with related laws and regulations.

It seeks to amend provisions on election expenses to remove the requirement for candidates to submit to executive directors, district administrative secretaries and ward executive officers notification on candidates’ campaign teams and instead submit such forms to the returning officer or his assistant.

This amendment is intended to rectify where notification is submitted, namely a regulatory official rather than the government as such, while also seeking that political parties be included in the gender and social inclusion policy. This will increase the participation of women and special groups in programmes and candidacy selection in political activities, the bill indicated.

It also proposes that the chairman and vice chairman of the electoral commission be appointed from justices of Court of Appeal and High Court judges, with a preliminary requirement of a practising advocate for not less than 15 years.

Other commissioners will be required to be citizens by birth, trustworthy, competent in leadership and any other qualities the recruitment committee will consider essential for those functions.

The bill also restricts sailing unopposed by a candidate as instead will have to campaign and be voted for with ‘yes’ and ’no’ votes in the polling.