SADC Model Law on Elections

GENDER EQUALITY AND WOMEN ADVANCEMENT POLICY

Order Paper- Day 1- Saturday 14 December 2019

Order Paper- Day 1- Monday 22 July 2019

This is the Management Board of the SADC Parliamentary Forum and is composed of seven Speakers of Parliament and seven Members of Parliament at any one time. All the Member Parliaments are represented on the Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee oversees policy implementation and any other issues related to the management of the Forum. It has three Sub-Committees, namely, the Finance Sub-Committee, the Human Resources Sub-Committee and the Legal Sub-Committee, all of which report to the Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee embodies the management body that monitors the implementation of Plenary Assembly decisions and feeds information to the Plenary Assembly.

The Composition, tenure and sessions of the Executive Committee shall be as prescribed under Article 12 of the Constitution. 

The Executive Committee shall:

1. be responsible for the overall management and conduct of the Forum business;
2. prepare the agenda of the Plenary Assembly Session;
3. present to the Plenary Assembly for approval, the annual budget of the Forum;
4. table the annual audited accounts before the Plenary Assembly;
5. present to the Plenary Assembly the annual implementation plan of the activities of the Forum;
6. table reports and other submissions as the Plenary Assembly may direct;
7. submit to the Plenary Assembly for approval any amendments to the Constitution in line with Article 30 and Rules of Procedure pursuant to Rule 48;
8. recommend to the Plenary Assembly any review of the membership annual mandatory contributions;
9. appoint, on such terms and conditions as it may determine, staff necessary for the performance of the functions of the Forum;
10. ensure that in the appointment of staff to the Forum, the gender and geographic representation are adequately addressed; and
11. without prejudice to the powers of the Plenary Assembly, take binding decisions in between meetings of the Plenary Assembly.

The Executive Committee is composed of seven Speakers and seven Members of Parliament over a two-year tenure of office, and is informed by the following Sub-Committees:

1. Parliamentary Business Sub-committee which formulates and makes recommendations concerning the business of Plenary Assembly. It consists of the President, Deputy President, Plenary Assembly Host Speaker, Treasurer, Chairperson of the RWPC as ex-officio and the Secretary General;
2. Legal Sub-Committee which advises on constitutional, legal and procedural matters relating to the operations and functions of the Forum;
3. Finance Sub-Committee which advises on financial matters of the Forum;
4. Human Resources and Capacity Development Sub-Committee which makes recommendations on the terms and conditions of service for staff of the Forum and considers reports by the Parliamentary Capacity Development (PCD) Steering Committee.

Substantive Members

Ex-Officio

Procedure for Election to the Executive Committee

Nomination Guidelines

1. The Secretary General shall, not less than 60 days before the date of the Plenary Assembly at which the next elections are to be held, notify National Parliaments of the composition of the Executive Committee.
2. The notice shall clearly indicate those National Parliaments that are eligible to elect Presiding Officers and those eligible to elect non Presiding Officers to the Executive Committee.
3. Each National Parliament shall communicate in writing the full names, gender and political affiliation of the nominee for the one position on the Executive Committee within 30 days from the date of notice referred to in Rule 43 (1) (a) above.
4. Where a National Parliament fails to comply with the nomination
   guidelines, the Secretary General shall reject the nominations and
   request the National Parliament concerned to address the matter.

Election Procedure

1. The Secretary General shall be the Returning Officer.
2. Once the outgoing Executive Committee has confirmed the names and credentials of the Executive Committee, the Secretary General shall prepare for the elections of the President, Vice-President and Treasurer.
3. The Electoral College shall comprise all the Members of the Plenary Assembly.
4. A quorum of a simple majority of the Plenary Assembly is required before elections can take place.
5. In the event that a quorum is not established at end of the Plenary Assembly Session, Members of the Plenary Assembly present shall proceed with election of office bearers.
6. A National Parliament that has previously held the position of President shall not be eligible for election to the position before the rotation cycle is completed.
7. A National Parliament that has previously held the position of VicePresident shall not be eligible for election to the position of VicePresident before the rotation cycle is completed.
8. The Returning Officer shall call for nominations for each position.
9. Where only one candidate is nominated for a position, that candidate shall be declared duly elected.
10. Where more than one candidate is nominated to a position, voting shall be conducted by secret ballot except that where a man is elected to the position of President, only the women present shall be eligible for the position of Vice-President and vice versa.
11. Where there is no opposition Member elected to the position of President or Vice President, only opposition Members shall be eligible for the position of Treasurer.
12. The Returning Officer shall count ballots immediately after voting.
13. The electoral process shall be open to observation by Clerks/Secretaries General of National Parliaments.
14. The Returning Officer shall announce the results of the election to the Plenary Assembly

Sub-Committees of the Executive Committee

The Sub-Committees of the Executive Committee shall include the following:

1. Parliamentary Business Sub-Committee;
2. Legal Sub-Committee;
3. Finance Sub-Committee; and
4. Human Resources and Capacity Development Sub-Committee.

The Executive Committee may establish any other Sub-Committees or Ad hoc Committees as and when necessary.

Immediately after the election of the President and Vice-President, and designation of the Treasurer pursuant to the Constitution, the Executive Committee shall establish Sub-Committees during the same Session.

The Executive Committee shall, through the Office of the Secretary General, convene the first meeting of each Sub-Committee at which meeting a Chairperson and Vice- Chairperson shall be elected.

Trade, Industry, Finance and Development Integration deals with matters related to economic cooperation, industry and trade, mining, finance and investment and regional integration and infrastructure development;

COMMITTEE COMPOSITION

Gender Equality, Women Advancement, and Youth Development deals with issues of gender equality, women advancement, and empowerment as well as youth development and children.

COMMITTEE COMPOSITION

Human and Social Development and Special Programmes deals with human and social development issues pertaining to health and combating illicit drug trafficking, HIV/AIDS, human resource development, education, professional training, employment and labour, culture and sport, science and technology and humanitarian issues as well as other issues to be determined accordingly;

COMMITTEE COMPOSITION

The Food, Agriculture Natural Resources and Infrastructure Committee deals with matters related to agriculture, fisheries, forestry and wildlife, water and environment, energy, transport, tourism, ICTs, meteorology, food security and natural resources;

COMMITTEE COMPOSITION