Shaheen says election synchronisation won't affect oversight

Legal expert Shaheen Hameed has stated that aligning presidential and parliamentary elections is unlikely to affect the system of checks and balances.

He made the remarks on Saturday during a forum organised by the Bar Council on the proposed referendum to combine the two elections.

Shaheen, who served as Vice President of the Special Majlis that drafted the current Constitution, expressed support for the proposed amendment and the referendum.

He said the Constitution defines the three branches of the state and provides a framework for oversight and accountability.

“The system of oversight is not dependent on the timing of elections. Holding both elections on the same day is unlikely to result in negative consequences,” he said.

Shaheen stated that combining the elections does not appear to affect the structure of the Constitution or the functioning of checks and balances.

He added that holding elections on the same day may reduce the influence of outcomes in one election over the other.

“The outcome may be more balanced if both elections are held at the same time, as results would remain uncertain until the end,” he said.

Shaheen also said that changes relating to the term and timing of Parliament should be implemented by a future Majlis rather than the current one.