Committee seeks consultations on bill to align 2 elections

A parliamentary committee on Thursday decided to seek views from political parties, the Elections Commission, and the Attorney General’s Office on a proposed constitutional amendment to align parliamentary and presidential elections.

The government has proposed an amendment to the Constitution to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on the same date and to extend the term of the current 20th Parliament until 1 December 2028.

The amendment was moved by Majority Leader Ibrahim Falah during an extraordinary sitting held on 5 February. On the same day, the bill was debated and referred to the Independent Institutions Committee for review.

The committee met on Thursday to determine the process for considering the bill. During discussions, Baarah MP Ibrahim Shujau proposed holding separate consultations with political parties, the Elections Commission, and the Attorney General’s Office.

He suggested that the meetings be held on 2 March. The proposal was supported by all members present at the meeting.

If the amendment is approved by Parliament and ratified by the president, the presidential election scheduled for 2028 and the parliamentary election scheduled for 2029 would be held on the same date.

The current 20th Parliament began its term on 28 May 2024. Under the existing Constitution, its five-year term is due to expire in May 2029.

The proposed amendment would revise the constitutional provision on the parliamentary term to run for five years from 1 December instead of May. Upon the completion of that period, Parliament would be dissolved.