The Senate has passed the harmonized Electoral Act Amendment Bill which includes approval for the electronic transmission of election results which had been a contentious issue.
The passage by the upper legislative chamber, which was done on Tuesday, follows the resumption of plenary by members of the National Assembly after a 3-weeks recess and the harmonization of the bill by the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The Senate had set up a 7-man conference committee to meet with members of the House of Representatives Conference Committee to harmonize the differences in the Senate and House versions of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
The constitution of the conference committee by both chambers of the national assembly became necessary following the minor differences in the passed bills by both sides, especially with respect to the mode of operation of electronic transmission of election results and the powers of the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).
With the successful harmonization, it means the National Assembly has completed the process of amending the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.
The House of Representatives is also expected to pass the harmonized bill before it will be transmitted to the President for assent.
