Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, introduced the modification to the bill’s second and final readings.
He explained that the amendment addresses an oversight where a deputy for the supernumerary returning officer was not included.
The AG said Section Two (One) of the principal act updates the definition of a supernumerary returning officer. This revised definition now includes both supernumerary returning officers and supernumerary deputy returning officers for polling sub-districts in Regions Three, Four and Six.
He explained that “The amendment is very small but significant. And what occurred when we did the final draft and when we enacted the bill in 2022, we omitted to include in the definition of a supernumerary returning officer, someone to deputise his/her functions…In the amendments that we did, we did not include a deputy for the supernumerary returning officer.”
And that is all the new changes are intended to correct.
The government, he said, made several commitments in 2022 to enact a range of amendments covering various areas under ROPA and the National Registration Act (NRA).
These two mega pieces of election legislation contain all the necessary amendments that have been passed over the last three decades.
He added that the amended bill will help prevent further misuse of the electoral system and promote transparency, following the general and regional elections held on March 2, 2020.
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Sonia Parag also supported the bill. She said that since assuming office in 2020, the PPP/C administration has fulfilled its commitments by reviewing the laws that govern the electoral system.
She highlighted the extensive consultations held for ROPA, involving individuals from all sections of society, which enhanced transparency.
She reminded the House that “The plethora of obstacles, trauma and distress that was caused by a few had very little to do with the Representation of the People Act. It had every single thing to do with individuals and rogues who believed that they could somehow fix, trick, or twist the system to how they wanted it.”
Minister Parag said the change to the bill is necessary and should not be overlooked, explaining that the term supernumerary returning officer was previously undefined in a way that covered the growing operational demands within the three largest electoral districts.
“The inclusion of deputy supernumerary returning officers explicitly recognise in this bill is one of the quiet enablers of a broader level of reform which has received support from all sections of our local society, as well as our international partners,” she stated. “These officers play a critical role in our process and their functions are tightly regulated.”
Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha described the amendment as part of a comprehensive reform to clarify the definition of a supernumerary returning officer.
“This amendment is far more than a technical adjustment. It is a deliberate and substantive clarification that fortifies the structural integrity of our electoral process by defining the scope and status of these officers, particularly in the highly populated regions,” he noted. (Department of Public Information)
