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| National |
| Elections bill at Parliament |
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by
Gedion Munthali, 01 October 2003
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18:51:29
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Attorney General Peter Fachi disclosed Wednesday that a bill on tripartite elections next year has been sent to the parliamentary legal affairs committee for fine-tuning.
Fachi said in an interview when the committee looks at the proposed piece of legislation, it will send it to cabinet for final approval before being tabled at the next sitting of Parliament in November.
He said without passing the bill, holding of presidential, parliamentary and local government elections at once will be unconstitutional.
“The bill is panel beating the law on elections,” said Fachi. “We are trying to synchronise the provisions of the Constitution and the reality of holding three elections at once.”
He said that at the moment there are no provisions under the law to operationalise holding of three elections at once.
“Without that bill, holding of the three elections at once will be illegal,” said Fachi. “We are therefore legalising holding of three elections at the same time. Basically that is what the bill is all about.”
On a bill to govern declaration of assets, which he was expected to receive from Parliament, Fachi said: “I think it came. I think it is among some of the documents my chambers have received. But I have not had an opportunity of looking at it.”
He said officials who could have seen it were not around: Solicitor General Steve Matenje is in Geneva, Switzerland and Chief Parliamentary Draughtsman Anthony Kamanga is in the United States of America.
“I have asked the Deputy Chief Parliamentary Draughtsman Mr. Kenyatta Nyirenda to look for it,” said Fachi. “But I am sure it came.” |
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