cheahsoonhai: PSC ready with 22 recommendations on electoral reforms

PSC ready with 22 recommendations on electoral reforms

KUALA LUMPUR (March 28, 2012): The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on electoral reforms has completed its work and is ready to table its 22 recommendations in Parliament next week.

Its chairman Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili (pix) said after almost six months of deliberating, the committee will submit its report to the members of parliament on Monday.

The report is, however, expected to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat sometime later in the week.

"This report is thorough and touches on key issues. There are 22 recommendations. Some were agreed upon, some weren't, but you will see that in the report," Ongkili told reporters after chairing a five-hour final meeting of the committee at Parliament today.

He said many issues were taken into consideration by the committee based on three principles — importance, urgency and possibility of implementation allowable within the legal and constitutional frameworks.

theSun had today reported that the nine-member panel had agreed on 16 out of the 22 issues raised by MPs from both sides of the divide.

Among the undecided issues were those about campaign period, postal vote for media personnel, overseas voting and political funding.

An insider had told theSun that some members favour a longer campaigning period of 21 days but some were only agreeable to 10 days.

Other matters include postal voting for media personnel but this was not agreeable as some felt that the intention of the PSC is to do away with postal votes.

It was also reported that the PSC had agreed on allowing political funding but the model to base it on was still to be decided.

However, Ongkili today refused to divulge the details of the report, saying the public should wait for it to be tabled.

"Some (recommendations) we agree to disagree, some were passed unanimously and others by majority. The details are all there," he said adding that the speaker will decide when the report will be tabled.

On demands by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih), Ongkili said the group should not stage Bersih 3.0 until they have studied the contents of the committee's recommendations.

"I think we shouldn't pre-empt the report on the first instance, we have allowed them to meet us, a few of their members also followed us to our public hearings.

"To be honest, we received useful input from them. They should look at the report before any judgments are made," he said.

Bersih had threatened to stage another rally if its list of eight recommendations to reform the electoral system is not included in the PSC report.

Meanwhile, another source close to the PSC told reporters that a request by several members to have a minority report together with the main report was rejected by the PSC.

The request for a minority report was to address some issues such as the electoral roll and reducing postal votes as it was not up to the committee to decide on how to improve the electoral roll.

"The MPs should debate on the report, (the committee) can't just let one party dictate the issues being addressed in the report while the rest remain silent," said the source.

"Having a minority report is not against the Standing Orders."

The source added however that despite the request being rejected, it is understood that a strong objection against the format of the report is stated in its opening.

SOURCE: http://www.thesundaily.my/news/334151

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国会政事：选举改革22事项週一呈国会

（吉隆坡28日讯）预料在下週一提呈国会下议院的选举改革报告，总共针对22个项目提出建议，以寻求国会议员的接纳。

选举改革遴选委员会主席拿督斯里麦西慕表示，选举报告在週一提呈后，会在週二宣读及辩论通过。

他指出，遴选委员会总共对选举改革事项，总结成22个项目。

他说，遴选委员会是基於重要性、紧急性及可行性3个原则，商討所有的事项。

选举改革遴选委员会经过5个月又25天，积极探討选举改革事宜后，终於在今天召开最后一天的会议。

今天的会议更经过6小时的冗长討论后，才敲定所有报告的细则。

5小组推改革措施

麦西慕指出，在过去半年中，遴选委员会总共进行了14次会议、6项调查及一次出访以瞭解其他国家的选举制度。

他说，委员会也设立5个小组，推动选举改革措施。