Eleanor Finch
The Twenty-second Amendment of the Constitution of Pakistan, or the Constitution (Twenty-second Amendment) Act, 2016, amends the procedure for the appointment, qualifications and other prerequisites for the chief election commissioner (CEC) and four members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The bill was introduced in the National Assembly of Pakistan by Zahid Hamid, then Minister for Law and Justice, and passed by the Senate on 2 June 2016.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To amend the procedure for the appointment, qualifications and other prerequisites for the chief election commissioner (CEC) and four members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) |
| Introduction | Introduced in the National Assembly of Pakistan by Zahid Hamid, then Minister for Law and Justice |
| Date | Passed by the National Assembly on 19 May 2016, and the Senate on 2 June 2016. The bill received assent from the then President Mamnoon Hussain on 8 June 2016, and came into force on the same day. |
| Eligibility criteria | "Civil servants" and "technocrats" are now eligible for appointment as the CEC and ECP members, in addition to serving or retired judges of the superior courts. |
| Age limit | Set an age limit of 68 years for the CEC and 65 years for the ECP members |
| Retirement | Two of the four ECP members will have to retire after completing just half of their five-year term, with lots drawn to determine who retires early |
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What You'll Learn
- The 22nd Amendment bill changed the eligibility criteria for the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)
- The bill also changed the eligibility criteria for four members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)
- The bill was passed by the Senate on 2 June 2016
- The bill received criticism from senators for not being given enough time to review it
- The bill was passed by the National Assembly of Pakistan on 19 May 2016
The 22nd Amendment bill changed the eligibility criteria for the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC)
The 22nd Amendment Bill, passed by Pakistan's Senate in 2016, altered the eligibility criteria for the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and four members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The bill, introduced by then-Law and Justice Minister Zahid Hamid, sought to expand the pool of potential candidates for these important positions.
Prior to the amendment, only Judges of the Supreme Court or High Court were eligible to be appointed as the CEC or members of the ECP. The 22nd Amendment Bill opened up these roles to "civil servants" and "technocrats", in addition to serving or retired judges of the superior courts. This change was intended to provide more flexibility and expertise in the electoral process.
The bill also introduced an age limit for the positions, with the CEC required to be under 68 years of age and ECP members under 65 years. This ensured that those appointed would have the necessary energy and contemporary perspective to carry out their duties effectively.
The passage of the 22nd Amendment Bill was not without controversy. Some senators criticised the government for not allowing sufficient time to review the legislation. Despite this, the bill received strong support, with 71 members voting in favour of it. This number exceeded the required 70 members needed for the passage of a constitutional amendment in the 104-member house.
The 22nd Amendment Bill received assent from President Mamnoon Hussain on June 8, 2016, and came into force on the same day, marking a significant change in the eligibility criteria for the CEC and ECP members in Pakistan.
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The bill also changed the eligibility criteria for four members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)
The Twenty-second Amendment of the Constitution of Pakistan, or the Constitution (Twenty-second Amendment) Act, 2016, amends the procedure for the appointment, qualifications and other prerequisites for the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and four members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The Constitution (Twenty-second Amendment) Bill, 2016, was introduced in the National Assembly of Pakistan by Zahid Hamid, then Minister for Law and Justice. The bill sought to alter the eligibility criteria for the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Members of the Election Commission of Pakistan. At the time, only Judges of the Supreme Court or High Court were eligible for appointment as Chief Election Commissioner or Members, respectively.
The bill changed the eligibility criteria by setting an age limit of 68 years for the CEC and 65 years for the ECP members. It also allowed for the appointment of \"civil servants\" and \"technocrats\" as the CEC and ECP members, in addition to serving or retired judges of the superior courts.
The passage of the bill was not without controversy. Some senators opposed it, arguing that the government had not given them enough time to review the law. There were also concerns about the process being “unconstitutional” as the number of votes on three clauses of the bill was less than the required two-thirds strength of the house. Despite these objections, the bill was passed by the Senate on 2 June 2016, with 71 members voting in favour. It received assent from the then President Mamnoon Hussain on 8 June 2016 and came into force on the same day.
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The bill was passed by the Senate on 2 June 2016
The Twenty-second Amendment of the Constitution of Pakistan, also known as the Constitution (Twenty-second Amendment) Act, 2016, was passed by the Senate on 2 June 2016. The bill, which was introduced in the National Assembly of Pakistan by Zahid Hamid, the then Minister for Law and Justice, sought to amend the procedure for the appointment, qualifications and prerequisites for the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and four members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The bill changed the eligibility criteria for the CEC and ECP members, adding "civil servants" and "technocrats" to the list of those eligible for appointment, alongside serving or retired judges of the superior courts. It also set an age limit of 68 years for the CEC and 65 years for ECP members. The bill further stipulated that two of the four ECP members would have to retire after completing just half of their five-year term, with lots drawn to determine who would retire early.
The passage of the bill in the Senate was not without controversy. While 71 members voted for the constitution amendment bill, some senators criticised the government for not giving them enough time to review the legislation, which had already been passed by the National Assembly. Additionally, Senator Mohsin Leghari opposed three clauses of the bill due to the rejection of his proposed amendments, and members of the opposition staged a walkout from the house in protest before ultimately returning and voting in favour of the bill.
The Twenty-second Amendment Bill received assent from President Mamnoon Hussain on 8 June 2016 and came into force on the same day.
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The bill received criticism from senators for not being given enough time to review it
The Twenty-second Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan, or the Constitution (Twenty-second Amendment) Act, 2016, amends the procedure for the appointment, qualifications and other prerequisites for the chief election commissioner (CEC) and four members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The bill was introduced in the National Assembly of Pakistan by Zahid Hamid, then Minister for Law and Justice. It was passed by the National Assembly on May 19, 2016, and by the Senate on June 2, 2016, with assent from President Mamnoon Hussain on June 8, 2016.
The bill received criticism from senators for not providing enough time to review it. As many as 71 members voted for the bill, but not before opposition and treasury senators criticised the government for rushing the bill through the legislative process. The bill was passed by the National Assembly before the Senate had a chance to review it.
Senator Mohsin Leghari opposed three clauses of the bill due to the rejection of his proposed amendments, and Chairman Raza Rabbani announced that 69 members had voted in support of these clauses, with one member voting against them. Mr Awan later told reporters that the bill had been passed “unconstitutionally” as votes on the three clauses fell short of the required two-thirds majority.
Opposition Leader Aitzaz Ahsan said that the opposition had objections to the bill but voted for it anyway because the incumbent members of the ECP were set to retire on June 10. MQM’s Tahir Mashhadi criticised the bill as “hurried legislation”, which was always considered “bad legislation”. ANP’s Shahi Syed staged a walkout from the house in protest, refusing to vote for the bill, but he later returned and voted for it alongside other members of his party.
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The bill was passed by the National Assembly of Pakistan on 19 May 2016
The Twenty-second Amendment of the Constitution of Pakistan, also known as the Constitution (Twenty-second Amendment) Act, 2016, amends the procedure for the appointment, qualifications and prerequisites for the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and four members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The Constitution (Twenty-second Amendment) Bill, 2016, was introduced in the National Assembly of Pakistan by Zahid Hamid, then Minister for Law and Justice. The bill sought to alter the eligibility criteria for the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and Members of the Election Commission of Pakistan, as well as address related matters. At the time, only Judges of the Supreme Court or High Court were eligible for appointment as Chief Election Commissioner or Members, respectively.
The passage of the bill was not without controversy. Some senators expressed dissatisfaction with the amount of time given to review the law, which had already been passed by the National Assembly. The bill was also criticised as "hurried legislation", with one senator staging a walkout from the house in protest before ultimately returning to vote for the bill. Despite these objections, 71 members voted for the constitution amendment bill, achieving more than the required two-thirds majority.
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Frequently asked questions
The Twenty-second Amendment of the Constitution of Pakistan, or the Constitution (Twenty-second Amendment) Act, 2016, amends the procedure for the appointment, qualifications and prerequisites for the chief election commissioner (CEC) and four members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The 22nd Amendment Bill was introduced in the National Assembly of Pakistan by Zahid Hamid, then Minister for Law and Justice.
69 senators voted in support of the bill, with one member voting against it. 71 members later voted for the constitution amendment bill, which then passed with the required two-thirds majority.
The bill's passage was controversial due to the opposition's objection to the government's haste in passing the law without sufficient time for review. Senator Mohsin Leghari opposed three clauses of the bill due to the rejection of his proposed amendments. Opposition members also criticised the government for passing the bill under the "doctrine of necessity".
The 22nd Amendment Bill was passed by the National Assembly on 19 May 2016 and by the Senate on 2 June 2016. It received assent from President Mamnoon Hussain on 8 June 2016 and came into force on the same day.
