IEBC unveils fresh elections road map

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has made revisions to its calendar arising from changes made to the Elections Act and the Political Parties Act.

The changes were made through the recently enacted Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act, 2012.

Among the issues communicated by the IEBC through a notice is that the election period will run from November 4 to the voting day, March 4, 2013.

The Elections Act requires the commission to publish a notice in the gazette and in electronic and print media of national circulation at least 60 days before the election date outlining the day upon which political parties shall submit a party list.

The notice is also to state the day for the nomination of candidates for the elections.

“In order to give adequate notice to the public, it is proposed that the commission publishes the notice four months before the General Election; on November 4, 2012.

“The date takes into account the three months political parties are required to have submitted the party list to the commission and the provision that requires candidates to be members or not members (in the case of independent candidates) of political parties,” IEBC said in the notice.

Political parties will now be required to submit their nomination rules by October 17 after MPs amended Section 27 of the Elections Act requiring political parties to submit their rules at least three months before the nomination of candidates.

Before the amendment, parties should have submitted the rules six months to the nominations. The Elections Act requires that political party nominations to have been completed at least 45 days before the elections, that is on January 18, 2013.

To comply with these provisions, political parties ought to submit their respective rules to the Registrar of Political Parties at least four-and-a-half months before the elections.