EC to mull polls delay if parliament passes bill a second time
Asked what would happen if the bill was delayed after it was passed by parliament for the second time, Habeeb said the commission will decide what to do.
By
Mohamed Muzayyin Nazim
Vice President of the Election Commission (EC) Ismail Habeeb has said that the commission members will discuss the next course of action if parliament passes the amendment bill to the General Election Act for the second time.
President Mohammed Muizzu has not yet ratified the bill passed by the Parliament on March 11 to hold the parliamentary elections 10 days after the end of Ramadan. Thus:
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The government wants to hold elections during the month of Ramadan as it already is set; therefore, the bill is not expected to be approved by the President
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According to the Constitution, once a bill is passed by Parliament, it has 15 days to be ratified or send it back to Parliament; that deadline expires on Monday
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If the bill is passed by a majority of the total number of members of Parliament without any changes, it shall be ratified by the President and published in the Government Gazette
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MDP has alleged that even after the second time parliament passes the bill, it could be delayed without ratification; the party had on Thursday threatened to expel members of the Election Commission if elections were held during Ramadan
When asked about the MDP's remarks, Habeeb, who is also the spokesperson of the commission, said the commission would act accordingly once the President ratifies the amendment passed by parliament. The commission's stand is to hold the election on the date fixed if there are no further changes, he said.
"The elections will act in accordance with the law. However, if the parliament passes the bill a second time, the commission will decide after discussions," Habeeb said.
Asked what would happen if the bill was delayed after it was passed by parliament for the second time, Habeeb said, "The commission will decide what to do about it”.
Habeeb added:
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If the election date is delayed, the commission will also open for re-registration for a period of two days
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According to the bill passed by Parliament, the election will be held on April 21 within the time limit stipulated in the laws. However, the work will go with "a lot of difficulty," he said
According to the Constitution, the Election Commission must hold elections for parliament 30 days before the start of the next parliamentary session. The deadline is April 28.
Habeeb pointed out that if a court delays the voting due to illegal activities, then the election cannot be held within the statutory period. That is one of the reasons why the commission wants to hold the election soon.
