The Independent Institutions Committee of Parliament has approved a bill seeking to amend the Constitution to combine parliamentary and presidential elections.

The committee passed the bill by a majority vote at its meeting, following consultations with the Elections Commission, the Attorney General’s Office and political parties. Several stakeholders expressed support for the proposed amendments during the consultation process.

The Government-sponsored bill proposes holding elections for Parliament and the President on the same date. It also introduces changes to the provisions governing the term of Parliament.

Under the proposed amendments, future parliamentary elections would be held concurrently with the presidential election conducted under Article 110 of the Constitution. The bill stipulates that the term of Parliament will be five years, beginning on 1 December, with Parliament dissolving at the end of that period.

The bill further states that the first sitting of a newly elected Parliament must take place on 1 December following the dissolution of the previous Parliament. Elections to elect members of Parliament would be held as soon as possible in accordance with the amended constitutional provisions.

If enacted, the amendments would shorten the term of the current 20th Parliament. Under the bill, the term of the 20th Parliament would expire on 1 December 2028, with elections to be held on that date. Under the existing Constitution, the current Parliament’s term would run until 2029.

Proposals to align presidential and parliamentary elections have been raised for several years. Supporters argue that holding both elections simultaneously would help increase voter turnout and significantly reduce the costs associated with conducting separate national elections.

With the bill approved at the committee stage, it will now proceed to the next stage of the legislative process in Parliament.