The Cabinet has approved several recommendations from the Electoral Commission concerning (a) copies of the electoral register to be made available to political parties; (b) voting by remand prisoners and (c) the creation of a new electoral district.  Cabinet also considered a draft bill on public assembly.

Proposals by Electoral Commission

The Electoral Commission had proposed that the Section 9(3) of the Elections Act [Cap 68A] be amended, so that the Commission would be able to provide electronic copies of the Electoral Register to political parties.

The Cabinet approved this proposal, with the provision that the electronic copies should be provided in a secured unalterable format as determined by the Electoral Commission.

This would also apply for the list of verified applications for registration as voters, or for transfer of voters to another district, or any claims or objections about entries in the Register, which are published every month by the Electoral Commission.

The Electoral Commission also proposed to amend Schedule 1 to provide for special voting facilities for voters on remand in the prisons.

The proposed amendments were approved by the Cabinet and would be presented to the National Assembly.

The Electoral Commission had also proposed the creation of a new electoral boundary for Ile Perseverance, which would consist of the area of the reclaimed island and its inhabitants.

The proposed change had been submitted to the President, who would lay the recommendation before the National Assembly, and the latter would consider approving it by a resolution before it becomes law.

Public Assembly Bill

The Cabinet also considered a draft Public Assembly Bill, which following its review and further amendment, would be submitted shortly to the National Assembly. The new legislation will replace the repealed Public Order Act 2013, which, the Constitutional Court recently ruled, contained certain elements that did not fully conform to the Constitution.