Blaenau Gwent: Etholiadau Etholaethol I Senedd Y DU a Chynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru 29 Mehefin 2006

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Blaenau Gwent: Etholiadau Etholaethol I Senedd Y DU a Chynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru 29 Mehefin 2006 Blaenau Gwent: Etholiadau etholaethol i Senedd y DU a Chynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru 29 Mehefin 2006 Gwersi a ddysgwyd Am yr adroddiad hwn 1. Corff annibynnol yw’r Comisiwn Etholiadol, a sefydlwyd gan y Senedd. Mae Deddf Pleidiau Gwleidyddol, Etholiadau a Refferenda 2000 (PPERA) yn galw arno i adrodd ar bob prif etholiad a refferendwm. Mae PPERA hefyd yn darparu y gall corff perthnasol, yn cynnwys Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru, wneud cais i’r Comisiwn i ddarparu cyngor ar faterion y mae gan y Comisiwn sgiliau a phrofiad ynddynt. 2. O ganlyniad i drafodaethau yng Ngrŵp Cynllunio Etholiadau Cymru1, gofynnodd Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru i’r Comisiwn gynhyrchu adroddiad ar y gwersi a ddysgwyd mewn perthynas ag isetholiadau Blaenau Gwent, a gynhaliwyd ar 29 Mehefin 2006. Nod yr adroddiad yw cynorthwyo i baratoi ar gyfer prif etholiadau Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru a gynhelir ym mis Mai 2007 ac ar gyfer unrhyw isetholiadau dwbl yn y dyfodol. 3 Mae Deddf Gweinyddu Etholiadol 2006 yn galluogi’r Comisiwn yn y dyfodol i adrodd yn ôl ei ddisgresiwn ar isetholiadau etholaethol i Senedd y DU, Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru a Senedd yr Alban. Cefndir 4 Daeth seddau gwag yn etholaeth Blaenau Gwent ar gyfer Senedd y DU a Chynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru yn dilyn marwolaeth y cyn Aelod Seneddol ac Aelod Cynulliad Peter Law. Cynhaliwyd yr isetholiadau ar gyfer y ddwy sedd ar yr un diwrnod. Rhain oedd yr isetholiadau dwbl cyntaf o’u bath i gael eu cynnal yng Nghymru. Roedd isetholiad am etholaeth yn Senedd yr Alban wedi cyd-daro ag etholiad cyffredinol Senedd y DU yn 2001. 5. O ganlyniad i’r gwahanol weithdrefnau sy’n berthnasol i lenwi seddau etholiadau gwag yn Senedd y DU a’r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol, nid oes gofyniad cyfreithiol bod yr isetholiadau’n cael eu cynnal ar yr un diwrnod. Mae angen cydgysylltu a chydlynu rhwng y ddau sefydliad er mwyn i hynny ddigwydd. 6 Nid oes unrhyw ddarpariaeth ddeddfwriaethol benodol sy’n galluogi etholiadau Senedd y DU a’r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol i gael eu cyfuno. Yn wahanol i’r sefyllfa sy’n berthnasol i’r rhan fwyaf o fathau eraill o etholiadau2, nid 1 Sefydlwyd y Grŵp Cynllunio Etholiadau Cymru, yn dilyn argymhelliad gan y Comisiwn Etholiadol ac fe’i hwylusir gan Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cymru. Mae’n cynnwys cynrychiolwyr o’r holl fudiadau hynny sydd ynghlwm wrth etholiadau yng Nghymru gan gynnwys y pedair prif blaid wleidyddol. 2 Mae’r etholiadau hynny sydd yn rhaid eu cyfuno os y’u cynhelir ar yr un diwrnod yn cynnwys, yn ôl Deddf Cynrychiolaeth y Bobl 1985; etholiad cyffredinol Seneddol y DU ac etholiad cyffredinol Seneddol Ewropeaidd; etholiad cyffredinol Seneddol y DU ac etholiad llywodraeth leol; etholiad cyffredinol Seneddol Ewropeaidd ac etholiad llywodraeth leol. Gellir cyfuno etholiadau eraill yn ôl discreswin y Swyddog Canlyniadau. Mae Rheolau Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru (Cynrychiolaeth oes deddfwriaeth eilaidd yn bodoli ynghylch cynnal etholiadau cyfun i Senedd y DU a’r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol. Yn yr un modd, nid oes deddfwriaeth eilaidd yn darparu ar gyfer cynnal etholiadau cyfun i Senedd y DU a Senedd yr Alban, ac ar gyfer Cynulliad Gogledd Iwerddon. Cafodd y ddeddfwriaeth sylfaenol berthnasol ar etholiadau cyfun ei drafftio cyn datganoli yng Nghymru, yr Alban a Gogledd Iwerddon. 7 Roedd hi’n angenrheidiol felly i’r ddau etholiad ym Mlaenau Gwent gael eu cynnal fel etholiadau ar wahân yn rhedeg ochr yn ochr â’i gilydd. Mae pleidleiswyr y ddau ychydig yn wahanol, gyda Senedd y DU yn meddu ar ei etholfraint ei hun tra mai’r rhai sydd wedi’u cofrestru i bleidleisio mewn etholiadau llywodraeth leol yw pleidleiswyr etholiadau’r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol. 8 Nid oes gwaharddiad ar unigolyn yn dal sedd yn Senedd y DU a’r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol; roedd llawer yn gwneud hynny yn nyddiau cynnar y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol ac mae un aelod presennol yn aelod yn Senedd y DU ac yn y Cynulliad. 9 Yn ymarferol, dim ond mewn amgylchiadau anghyffredin y byddai isetholiad dwbl yn digwydd. Gyda’r tymor penodol o bedair blynedd yn y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol a thymor o hyd at bum mlynedd yn Senedd y DU, nid yw hi’n annirnadwy, fodd bynnag, y gallai etholiad cyffredinol dwbl gael ei gynnal rywbryd yn y dyfodol. Llenwi seddau etholaeth gwag: cyfraith berthnasol 10 Mae gwahanol ddarpariaethau cyfreithiol ar gyfer isetholiadau i Senedd y DU ac i’r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol. Yn neilltuol, mae gwahaniaethau mawr yn y ffordd y mae’r etholiadau’n cael eu galw. Seddau gwag yn Senedd y DU 11 Pan fydd sedd yn dod yn wag, gellir gwneud cynnig yn Nhŷ’r Cyffredin i’r Llefarydd lenwi ei warant ar gyfer cyhoeddi gwrit ar gyfer ethol Aelod newydd i lenwi’r sedd wag. Cyhoeddir gwrit ar gyfer isetholiad gan Glerc y Goron cyn gynted â’i bod yn ymarferol wedi i’r Llefarydd roi ei warant ar gyfer cyhoeddi’r gwrit. Mae darpariaethau arbennig ar gyfer achosion sy’n codi pan fydd y Senedd ar gau. Yn ôl confensiwn, mae isetholiadau fel arfer yn cael eu cynnal o fewn tri mis i sedd yn dod yn wag. 12 Gyda sedd wag yn y Senedd, mae confensiwn seneddol yn mynnu y bydd Prif Chwip y blaid yr oedd y cyn aelod yn perthyn iddi (os oedd ef/hi yn perthyn i blaid: AS annibynnol oedd Peter Law) fel arfer yn cymryd camau i’r cynnig gael ei y Bobl) yn galluogi cyfuno etholiadau’r Cynulliad ac etholiad llywodraeth leol os y’u cynhelir ar yr un diwrnod. wneud. Byddai cynnig o’r fath yn cael ei golli pe byddai mwyafrif yr aelodau’n pleidleisio yn ei erbyn. Yn achos sedd wag Blaenau Gwent, cafodd y cynnig ei wneud gan chwipiau’r Llywodraeth. Seddau gwag yn etholaethau Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru 13 Mae Deddf Llywodraeth Cymru 20063 yn cynnwys darpariaethau sy’n berthnasol pan fydd sedd Aelod Cynulliad dros etholaeth Cynulliad yn wag. Yn benodol, mae hwn yn nodi’r amserlen ar gyfer llenwi’r sedd wag. 14 Bydd dyddiad y pôl yn yr etholiad yn cael ei bennu gan Lywydd y Cynulliad. Ni fydd y dyddiad yn fwy na thri mis ar ôl i’r sedd ddod yn wag, ar wahân i achos lle nad yw’r sedd wag yn dod i sylw’r Llywydd o fewn mis iddo ddod yn wag; yn yr achos hwnnw bydd y dyddiad yn cael ei bennu heb fod yn fwy na thri mis ar ôl derbyn y rhybudd. 15 Gyda sedd wag yn y Cynulliad, nid oes gan y pleidiau gwleidyddol ran yn y gwaith o alw etholiad sy’n cyfateb i’r hyn sy’n digwydd yn Nhŷ’r Cyffredin. Etholiadau a gynhelir ar yr un diwrnod 16 Pe byddai rheolau’n cael eu cyflwyno i ganiatáu cyfuno etholiadau i Senedd y DU ac i’r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol, ni fyddai’r rhain yn mynd i’r afael â’r ffaith na fyddai’r etholiadau’n cael eu cynnal yn awtomatig ar yr un diwrnod. 17 Mae manteision amlwg, serch hynny, i gynnal isetholiadau ar yr un diwrnod, lle mae seddau gwag yn digwydd mewn seddau etholiadol sy’n cyd-ffinio4: a. Cyfleus i’r pleidleiswyr. b. Y ganran sy’n pleidleisio: mae etholiadau sy’n cael eu cynnal ar wahân, ond yn agos at ei gilydd, yn arwain at ‘flinder pleidleiswyr’ lle mae llai o bobl yn pleidleisio yn yr ail etholiad. c. Bydd materion gwleidyddol yn yr ardal, hyd yn oed lle mae gwahanol sefydliadau dan sylw, yn debyg iawn. ch. Adnoddau a gallu pleidiau gwleidyddol ac ymgeiswyr i ymgyrchu ac i drefnu – byddai hynny’n cael ei wanhau mewn etholiadau ar wahân yn cael eu cynnal yn agos at ei gilydd. d. Cost5 - yn arwyddocaol wahanol pe byddai’r etholiadau’n cael eu cynnal ar wahân. 18 Yn achos Blaenau Gwent, fodd bynnag, nid oedd galwadau o unrhyw fan i’r 3 Adeg isetholiadau Blaenau Gwent, roedd Deddf Llywodraeth Cymru mewn grym. 4 Nid yw ffiniau etholaethol Senedd yr Alban bellach yn cydweddu efo ffiniau ethoalethol Senedd y DU yn y wlad honno ers gostwng y nifer o ASau Albanaidd yn 2005. 5 Mae’r manteision cost yn cael eu trafod mewn adran bellach. etholiadau gael eu cynnal ar wahân, ac roedd tybiaeth gyffredin yn y cyfryngau y byddent ar yr un diwrnod. 19 Cyhoeddodd y Llywydd ddyddiad isetholiad y Cynulliad cyntaf. Aeth cyfnod o ryw dair wythnos heibio cyn cyhoeddi’r writ yn y Senedd, yn pennu dyddiad yr etholiad Seneddol. Mae amserlen etholiadol y Senedd yn fyrrach. 20 Un o’r heriau mwyaf arwyddocaol o ran rheoli’r etholiad, a adroddwyd gan y Swyddog Canlyniadau a’i staff, oedd ansicrwydd. Roedd gwybod dyddiad etholiad y Cynulliad yn galluogi bwcio gorsafoedd pleidleisio, gwneud paratoadau ar gyfer argraffu papurau pleidleisio, pecynnau pleidleisiau post a deunydd ysgrifennu etholiadol arall, ond nid oedd modd gwneud trefniadau pendant ar gyfer yr etholiad Seneddol, ac yn wir roedd angen gwneud trefniadau wrth gefn ar gyfer bwcio gorsafoedd pleidleisio, er enghraifft. Roedd ansicrwydd tebyg yn wynebu’r pleidiau gwleidyddol a’r ymgeiswyr oedd yn cynllunio ymgyrchoedd. 21 Roedd hwn yn gyfnod llawn tensiwn ym Mlaenau Gwent. Bu farw Peter Law, yn drist iawn ac yn gynamserol. Roedd yr isetholiadau dilynol yn arwyddocaol iawn yn wleidyddol a chafwyd ymgyrchoedd a ymladdwyd yn galed gyda lefel uchel o ymgyrchu gan y pleidiau gwleidyddol. Roedd gweddw Peter Law, Trish Law, a’i gyn asiant, Dai Davies, yn ymgeiswyr annibynnol ar gyfer etholiadau’r Cynulliad a’r Senedd yn eu trefn (a chafodd y ddau eu hethol). Dyma oedd y cyd-destun ar gyfer rheoli’r etholiad. 22 Roedd y canran a bleidleisiodd yn yr etholiadau’n uwch na’r arfer ar gyfer isetholiadau.
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