OK FOR POLL LAW CHANGE

THE National Assembly on Wednesday unanimously approved the constitutional amendment that will enable President Nelson Mandela to immediately formally proclaim June 2 as the date for this year’s election. The amendment was necessary as currently Mandela may not proclaim the election date until after the end of the sitting of Parliament at which the proposed date was tabled. The matter was not tabled in time to be debated by the last sitting of Parliament. In a related constitutional amendment, the House also approved a change allowing provincial premiers to proclaim provincial poll dates.