TheParliamentarian Journal of the Parliaments of the Commonwealth 2015 | Issue Three XCVI | Price £13 Elections and Voting Reform PLUS Commonwealth Combatting Looking ahead to Millenium Development Electoral Networks by Terrorism in Nigeria CHOGM 2015 in Malta Goals Update: The fight the Commonwealth against TB Secretary-General PAGE 150 PAGE 200 PAGE 204 PAGE 206 The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Shop CPA business card holders CPA ties CPA souvenirs are available for sale to Members and officials of CPA cufflinks Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures by CPA silver-plated contacting the photoframe CPA Secretariat by email: [email protected] or by post: CPA Secretariat, Suite 700, 7 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA, United Kingdom. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) exists to connect, develop, promote and support Parliamentarians and their staff to identify benchmarks of good governance and implement the enduring values of the Commonwealth. Calendar of Forthcoming Events Confirmed at 24 August 2015 2015 September 2-5 September CPA and State University of New York (SUNY) Workshop for Constituency Development Funds – London, UK 9-12 September Asia Regional Association of Public Accounts Committees (ARAPAC) Annual Meeting - Kathmandu, Nepal 14-16 September Annual Forum of the CTO/ICTs and The Parliamentarian - Nairobi, Kenya 28 Sept to 3 October West Africa Association of Public Accounts Committees (WAAPAC) Annual Meeting and Community of Clerks Training - Lomé, Togo 30 Sept to 5 October CPA International Executive Committee Meetings - London, UK October 26-28 October CPA and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Legislators’ Experts Meeting on Climate Change - London, UK November 1-5 November 7th Commonwealth Youth Parliament - Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia 23-24 November CHOGM Women’s Forum 2015 – Valetta, Malta 24-26 November 33rd Australia and Pacific Regional Conference - Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia 27-29 November Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2015 – Valetta, Malta The publication of a Calendar of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) events is a service intended to foster the exchange of events and activities between Regions and Branches and the encouragement of new ideas and participation. Further information may be obtained from the Branches concerned or the CPA Secretariat. Branch Secretaries are requested to send notice of events and conferences to [email protected] in advance of the publication deadline to ensure the Calendar is accurate. Further information can also be found at www.cpahq.org or by emailing [email protected]. CONTENTS: THE PARLIAMENTARIAN 2015: ISSUE THREE PAGE 156 PAGE 180 The Parliamentarian: VIEWS & FEATURE ARTICLES Journal of the Parliaments of the Commonwealth COMMENT Vol. XCVI 2015: Issue Three The Parliamentarian ISSN 0031-2282 Editor’s Note Commonwealth The Price in Politics Issued by the Secretariat Elections and Voting Reform Electoral Networks The New South Wales of the Commonwealth Page 142 Commonwealth Secretary-General Experience. Parliamentary Association introduces the Commonwealth Page 168 (CPA), Suite 700, View from the Acting Electoral Networks Westminster House, Page 150 Small Branches: 7 Millbank, London Secretary-General SW1P 3JA, United Kingdom Parliaments and Elections Elections and Voting Tel: (+44-20) 7799-1460 Page 144 Electoral and Voting Reform Fax: (+44-20) 7222-6073 Reforms The view from Alderney. Email: [email protected] View from the CWP Electoral Reforms in Malawi. Page 172 www.cpahq.org Election Reform and Women Page 152 Page 146 Extending the Voting Publisher: 150 years of Franchise Mr Joe Omorodion The Acting How different electorates have Acting Secretary-General Electoral Reform The Isle of Man: the world’s extended the franchise for & Director of Finance and Secretary-General’s oldest parliament. parliamentary elections. Administration. Commonwealth Page 176 Photo Gallery Page 156 Jeffrey Hyland, Editor Page 148 [email protected] Electoral Finance Youth Engagement Finance for the 21st Century in in Elections Images: Shutterstock and Canada. The ‘Holyrood Rocks’ CPA. Election images: Page 160 project in Scotland. Commonwealth Secretariat. Page 180 Front cover image: Shutterstock Advances in Political 224474164. Party Financing The Electoral System How Jamaica is addressing Electoral Reform in The Seychelles. Printed in: United Kingdom by election financing. Page 182 Warners Midlands, PLC; Page 164 New Delhi, India by Jainco Art India, and Singapore by Times Printers Private Limited. 140 | The Parliamentarian | 2015 Issue Three CONTENTS PAGE 210 PAGE 204 NEWS PARLIAMENTARY Annual subscription REPORT (four issues) UK: £40 inc. postage. Worldwide: £42 surface post £48 airmail Democratic Renewal Powering Democracy Parliamentary Price per issue The work of the Special Looking ahead to CHOGM 2015 Report UK: £13 Committee of the Prince Edward in Malta. Featuring parliamentary Worldwide: £14 surface post Island Legislative Assembly. Page 204 reports and third readings £15 airmail Page 184 from Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Millennium Canada, India, the United Disclaimer Out with the old, in Development Goals Kingdom and Australia. Opinions and comments Also a report from the expressed in articles and with the new Update reviews published in The The case for internet voting Commonwealth Serjeant at The Call to Action on TB. Parliamentarian are those of in Australia. Arms 2015 Conference. Page 206 the individual contributors and Page 188 Pages 213-237 should not be attributed to the Secretariat of the Association. A Lesson in Electoral CPA Conferences, The Commonwealth Seminars and Parliamentary Association Turnout (CPA) Organisation Contributors The Falkland Islands Events Photo Executive Committee, Thank you to all contributors Referendum. Gallery Officers, CPA Secretariat and for this issue. Page 192 Page 208 Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Elections and Steering Committee Members CWP News Page 238 Corruption Commonwealth Women A perspective from India. Parliamentarians (CWP) Page 196 Regional Strengthening activities. The Challenges Page 210 of Dealing with Terrorism How the government are tackling Boko Haram in Nigeria. Page 200 The Parliamentarian | 2015: Issue Three | 141 EDITOR’S NOTE ELECTIONS AND VOTING REFORM ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH The Editor’s Note It was the American writer and politician, Benjamin The Commonwealth Secretary-General, His Franklin who said that “In this world nothing can be Excellency Kamalesh Sharma has written about said to be certain, except death and taxes.” the Commonwealth Electoral Network (CEN) and For the experienced Parliamentarian in any speaks of his desire that it establishes a “gold democratic system across the Commonwealth, the standard” in elections management. certainty of elections can be added to that list. Elections and Voting Reforms are examined Elections are an essential part of the democratic in several different contexts in this issue: Hon. process and allow people to express their Raphael Mhone MP (Malawi) outlines the proposed democratic rights and have their say in who they reforms for his country; Robert McDowall want to represent them. The right to vote is a hard (Alderney) observes the challenges of election fought principle and throughout history, different Jeffrey Hyland, Editor reform from one of the smallest branches of the groups in society have battled to gain the right to The Parliamentarian CPA; Hon. Sebastien Pillay, MNA (Seychelles) participate in elections. looks at what is required to reform elections in this This issue of The Parliamentarian focuses island nation; and Speaker Hon. Steve Rodan SHK on elections and the different reforms to electoral systems and (Isle of Man) looks at 150 years of electoral reform the world’s oldest voting rights that have been applied or are being negotiated in the parliament. Hon. Jordan Brown, MLA (Prince Edward Island, Canada) Parliaments and Legislatures across the Commonwealth. It also outlines how a new Committee on Democratic Renewal will help to examines how Parliamentarians are working to engage with voters to shape elections for the future. encourage activity participation in elections. Corruption in the context of elections are scrutinized by Shri Satya Narayana Sahu (India). The financial aspects of elections are also “Elections are an essential part of analyzed: Senator David Smith (Canada) looks at Canadian electoral finance in the 21st century; Hon. Phillip Paulwell, MP (Jamaica) the democratic process and allow reviews the advances in Political Party financing in Jamaica; and Hon. people to express their democratic Trevor Khan MLC (New South Wales, Australia) outlines the ‘price in politics’ through political donations and lobbying. rights and have their say in who they The extension of the voting franchise to include more young people in elections is a key election reform in many places across want to represent them. The right to the Commonwealth. Professor Sarah Birch (University of Glasgow) vote is a hard fought principle and provides an analysis of how different electorates have extended the franchise for parliamentary elections while Anne McTaggart MSP throughout history, different groups (Scotland) reports on how a music project is encouraging youth engagement in elections in Scotland. in society have battled to gain the Voter engagement in elections is essential to maintain the right to participate in elections.” democratic process and Electoral