CHAPTER
1
CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM |
ARRANGEMENT OF
SECTIONS |
SECTION |
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Question to be asked in referendum. |
Application of Parliamentary Elections Act. |
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CHAPTER 1 |
CONSTITUTIONAL
REFERENDUM |
An Act to
provide for the manner in which a vote shall be taken for the purpose of
obtaining the approval of the electors with respect to a Bill which seeks to
alter certain Articles of the Constitution of The Bahamas. | 16 of 1977
7 of 2002 |
[Commencement 29th
December, 1977] |
1. This Act may be cited as the Constitutional Referendum
Act. | Short title. |
2. (1) For the purpose of obtaining the approval of the
electors qualified to vote in an election of members of the House of Assembly
with respect to a Bill submitted to them, which Bill seeks to alter an Article
of the Constitution specified in Article 54(2) or (3) of the Constitution or
any of the provisions of The Bahamas Independence Act, 1973, a vote shall be
taken by way of a referendum held in accordance with this Act. | Holding of referendum. |
(2)
The Governor-General may by proclamation appoint a day for the holding of a
referendum, being a day not earlier than twenty-one days after the date of the
proclamation. |
(3)
The electors qualified to vote in a referendum shall be the electors who are
qualified to vote as electors for the Election of members of the House of
Assembly and for the purpose of referendum the register of voters prepared
pursuant to section 13 of the Parliamentary Elections Act, 1992 shall be deemed
to be closed ten days before the holding of the referendum. |
3. The question to be asked in a referendum shall be set
out in the Bill which seeks to amend the Constitution or The Bahamas
Independence Act, 1973, as the case may be. | Question to be asked in referendum. |
4. For the purposes of a referendum the votes of the
electors shall be cast and the proceedings shall be conducted so far as may be
as if a referendum were a general election of members of the House of Assembly
and the Parliamentary Elections Act, and any regulations
in force under that Act, shall be construed accordingly. | Application of Parliamentary Elections Act. |
5. The Governor-General may make regulations- | Regulations. |
(a) for the
establishment of such organization as may appear to the Governor-General to be
necessary for the conduct of a referendum; |
(b) as to the
form of a ballot paper for the purpose of a referendum; |
(c) for the
modification of the Parliamentary Elections Act (including omissions from,
additions to and amendments to the said Act) for the purpose of this Act; |
(d) for any
other matter appearing to the Governor-General to be necessary or expedient for
the purposes of this Act. |
6. Any expenses incurred in carrying this Act into effect
shall be defrayed out of moneys provided by Parliament. | Expenses. |