Prime Minister Douglas, minutes ago, announced at the steps of - TopicsExpress

Prime Minister Douglas, minutes ago, announced at the steps of Government Headquarters on Church Street in Basseterre, that he has advised the Governor General to dissolve the Parliament with immediate effect. He said that an election date will be announced at a later date. This follows an emergency sitting which saw the passage of a resolution giving way for His Excellency the Governor-General to sign a Proclamation which would effect revised Electoral Boundaries whenever Parliament is dissolved. This means that the highly anticipated 2015 St. Kitts-Nevis General Elections will have revised Electoral Boundaries. Prime Minister Dr. Denzil L. Douglas spoke under the agenda item entitled, Motions at an Emergency Sitting of the Assembly on Friday afternoon. Prime Minister Douglas stated, the Proclamation speaks to the Boundaries as have been revised after several years and months of sitting of the Constituency Boundaries Commission. According to PM Douglas, the Constitution, under Section 50, outlines the process that is to be followed to give effect to proposed revised Electoral Boundaries. Section 50, subsection 3 of the Constitution states that, As soon as may be after the Commission has submitted a report under subsection (1)(a), the Prime Minister shall lay before the National Assembly for its approval the draft of a proclamation by the Governor-General for giving effect, whether with or without modifications, to the recommendations contained in the report, and that draft proclamation may make provisions for any matters that appear to the Prime Minister to be incidental to or consequential upon the other provisions of the draft. (4) Where any draft proclamation laid before the National Assembly gives effect to any recommendations of the Commission with modifications, the Prime Minister shall lay before the Assembly together with the draft a statement of the reason for the modifications. (5) If the motion for the approval of any draft proclamation laid before the National Assembly under subsection (3) is rejected by the Assembly, or is withdrawn by leave of the Assembly, the Prime Minister shall amend the draft and lay the amended draft before the Assembly. (6) If any draft proclamation laid before the National Assembly under subsection (3) or (5) is approved by a resolution of the Assembly, the Prime Minister shall submit it to the Governor-General who shall make a proclamation in terms of the draft; and that proclamation shall come into force upon the next dissolution of Parliament after it is made. Prime Minister Douglas read into the minutes of the Assembly, the Draft Proclamation. ###