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{
    "id": 771392,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/771392/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 99,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "This Communication relates to the procedure for conducting the election of Members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) on the Election Day. Today, being the 14th day of December 2017, a day designated by the Houses of Parliament for conducting the election of Members to the EALA, I wish to make a brief Communication to guide the House on the steps to follow, being designated as one of the returning officers in accordance with Rules 2 and 17 of the EALA Elections (Election of Members of the Assembly) Rules, 2017. From the outset, let me remind the House that in accordance with the said rules, the presiding officer in the case of the election in this House is the Clerk of the National Assembly. In furtherance to Rule 17 (1) of the rules, the Speaker of the Senate and I have designated the Senate and the National Assembly Chambers as the respective polling stations for purposes of the election by the Members of the Senate and this House. In accordance with Rule 17(2) of the rules, voting is by secret ballot. In this regard, members of the Press are also notified that in keeping with paragraph 3 (c) of the broadcast rules, close-up shots that may show the manner in which a Member has voted are prohibited. At the beginning, I will order that the Bell be rung as if on a Division. This will signify the commencement of the voting process and also allow the presiding officer to prepare the voting station in the Chamber ready for voting. At the expiry of 10 minutes, the doors and the Bars shall remain open unlike in ordinary Division periods where the Bar would be drawn and the doors closed. Thereupon, the Clerk shall open the roll of voters - being the usual Division list - display the ballot boxes and each Member who is willing to vote shall approach the polling table and be issued with a ballot paper. Thereupon, the Clerk shall also cross out the Member’s name from the Division list. Each Member, on receiving a ballot paper which has been duly stamped - and it is important that you ensure that the ballot paper you receive is duly stamped - shall proceed to one of the polling booths and secretly record his or her votes by putting a mark in the space provided on the ballot paper against the names of your preferred candidates as clustered. After marking the ballot paper and whilst still in the booth, a Member must fold his or her ballot paper and proceed to deposit it in the ballot box. After bowing to the Chair, the Member shall resume his or her seat. It is important for me to emphasise the following important four aspects of this election. Hon. Members at the door, if you do not wish to listen, you can as well walk out. You have no business making it impossible for others to listen. If you do not desire to listen, just open the door and walk out. I will repeat. The following are four important aspects of this election: (1) The ballot paper is divided into two clusters. There is the Jubilee Party’s cluster which has 14 candidates and the National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition cluster which has 11 candidates; (2) Each Member has a total of nine votes. To exhaust all your nine votes, a Member should choose not more than five candidates from the Jubilee Party’s cluster, who should include at least two candidates of either gender, and should also choose not more than four candidates from the NASA coalition’s candidates, who should also include at least one candidate of either gender. I stress that you should not exceed nine candidates in total. Do not choose the nine from one cluster; (3) Do not make any other mark on the ballot paper. In accordance with the provision of Rule 17 (4), should a voter mark more than nine places in a ballot paper, it will be regarded as spoilt; and The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}