Rowdy Senate session as clause on real time results is dropped
The Senate held a tense and rowdy plenary on Tuesday as lawmakers revisited last Wednesday’s decision on a key clause in the Electoral Act amendment bill. The uproar followed moves to alter the provision on electronic transmission of election results. Trouble began when Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno, citing Orders 1(b) and 52(6) of the Senate Standing Orders 2023, asked the chamber to rescind its earlier decision on Clause 60(3) of the bill. His motion, seconded by Senator Abdul Ningi, sought to adjust the language of the clause. According to page 45 of the report of the Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Clause 60(3) originally states that the presiding officer shall electronically transmit results from each polling unit to the IReV portal in real time after Form EC8A has been signed and stamped by the presiding officer and countersigned by […]