The Parliament's Independent Institutions Committee has approved the postponement of next year's parliamentary elections until after the Holy month of Ramadan.
The first day of Ramadan falls on March 10 next year.
The committee decided to hold the election after Ramadan following committee discussions that stemmed from the Elections Commission (EC) expressing concerns about the feasibility of obtaining election officials and addressing administrative challenges if the elections were to be held during Ramadan.
To address these concerns, the EC proposed two alternative measures: either reducing the campaigning period from 30 days to 20 days or extending the overall election process timeframe from 120 days to 140 days.
In a meeting to discuss the matter today, all committee members unanimously agreed to postpone the election until after Ramadan rather than opt for an earlier pre-Ramadan date. Members highlighted that the challenges anticipated if the election were held before Ramadan could be effectively addressed by scheduling it afterward.
Next year's parliamentary elections will elect representatives for 93 constituencies.
