The Senate and the House of Representatives has come to an agreement on the 2010 Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill.
Although both chambers conceded that “consensus” should be a part of the mode of nominating candidates by political parties for elections, they added some conditions for use of the option.
According to the bill, parties must receive written consent from all aspirants.
If the parties fail to obtain written consent from aspirants, they (parties) must revert to either direct or indirect mode of primary.
The second condition is to hold a special convention at all levels to ratify the candidate so agreed on before the nomination can become valid if a party decides to use the consensus option.
The amended bill also provides in Clause 84 (2) that: “The procedure for the nomination of candidates by political parties for the various elective positions shall be by direct, indirect primaries or consensus.”
Clause 84(3) of the unified bill states that: “ a political party shall not impose nomination qualification or disqualification criteria, measures, or conditions on any aspirant or candidate for any election in its constitution, guidelines, or rules for nomination of candidates for elections, except as prescribed under sections 65, 66,106,107,131,137,177, and 187 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”
