KEEP THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION INDEPENDENT! - St Helier Parish Assembly - Wednesday 29th

Following on from the success in St Clement last week, a special St Helier Parish Assembly has been called this Wednesday 29^th February to keep the Electoral Commission independent.

The first issue on the agenda in the Town Hall at 7.30pm will be a resolution to support the amendments of Deputy Roy Le Herissier that seek to restore the spirit and integrity of the original proposition debated and passed by the States last year. Deputy Le Herissier will be addressing the Assembly to explain the impact of his amendments and why the public should be urging their States representatives to support him.

Here is the resolution:

 "to consider the merits of the proposition of the Privileges and Procedures Committee (Projet 5 of 2012 Electoral Commission: composition and terms of reference) and further to consider the amendments thereto lodged by Deputy R G Le Herissier and to decide whether or not to express support for those amendments and advise the Connétable, the ten Deputies and the ten Senators accordingly;"

To understand the way in which the PPC’s proposition P.5/2012 fails to embody the terms of the proposition passed by the States in 2011, I have sought to set out  below the salient changes to both the TERMS OF REFERENCE and to the COMPOSITION of the Electoral Commission.

Before that, you can listen to interviews with two of the four persons that requisitioned the forthcoming  Assembly, Darius Pearce and myself, explaining why it was called and what we hope to achieve.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION - TERMS OF REFERENCE

P15/2011  (As approved by the States in Debate on 15.03.2011 )

“1. The Electoral Commission shall consider all the following areas –

· Classes of States member

· Constituencies and mandates

· Number of States members

· Terms of office

· The functions of the electoral process [Amendment approved duringDebate]

· Voting systems

· Voter registration ”

As revised by PPC in P5/2012 (Lodged 13.01.2012)

“1. The Electoral Commission shall consider all the following

areas –

· Classes of States member;

· Constituencies and mandates;

· Number of States members; ”

Deputy Le Herissier Amendments to P5, REINSTATES TWO OF THE THREE ITEMS LISTED IN P15 BUT OMITTED IN P5:

· The functions of the electoral process;

· Voting systems;

ELECTORAL COMMISSION – COMPOSITION

P.15/2011  (As approved by the States in Debate on 15.03.2011 )

P.15 proposed the Electoral Commission should comprise “a Chairman and 2 other members from outside the Island and of 3 Jersey residents”. This was amendment so as

“to request the Privileges and Procedures Committee, after consultation, to bring

forward proposals for debate ahead of the debate on the Annual Business Plan 2012

detailing the proposed composition of the Electoral Commission, …;”

R.54/2011 PPC Consultation document (13.05.2011)

In R.54/2011, PPC listed 3 possible options for the composition of the Commission: -

Option 1 – Chairman and 2 members from outside Jersey, 3 members from Jersey;

Option 2 – Chairman from outside Jersey, 3 or 4 local members;

Option 3 – No outside members – Chairman and members from Jersey.

R110/2011 PPC Report (07.09.2011)

PPC duly reported and recommended the Commission comprise: - 5 members, with a

local Chairman, 2 members from Jersey and 2 expert members from outside the

Island.

As revised by PPC in P5/2012 (Lodged 13.01.2012)

“(a) to agree that the Commission should be comprised of 3 members of the States, one of whom shall be its Chairman, together with 3 other persons with appropriate skills and experience who are not members of the States, appointed by the States on the recommendation of the Privileges and Procedures Committee following a recruitment process overseen by the Jersey Appointments Commission;”

Deputy Le Herissier Amendments to P5, WHICH WILL THEN READ:

“(a) to agree that the Commission should be comprised of 7 independent members, one of whom shall be its Chairman, possessing appropriate skills and experience, appointed by the States on the recommendation of the Privileges and Procedures Committee following a recruitment process overseen by the Jersey Appointments Commission;”