The parliamentary electoral process

• A general election for the members of parliament shall be held on the second Tuesday in August after every five years.
• The speaker of the National Assembly dissolves the parliament and declares all seats vacant.
• The body in charge of elections then gives dates for political parties to nominate their candidates.
• Candidates are given time to campaign.
• Elections are then held on the date set in the constitution.
• The voters vote by secret ballot.
• After the voting process, the ballot boxes are opened and the votes counted.
• The body in charge of elections announces the election results.

Votes are placed into sealed boxes, so that voting can be done by secret ballot. In this picture you can see the different positions which are being voted for. [resource: 1653, align: left]

Role of citizens in the electoral process

• Electing leaders of their choice through a democratic process.
• Presenting themselves for elective positions.
• Ensuring that the elections are free and fair by reporting any irregularities.
• Paying taxes and other levies. This provides funds for the electoral process.
• Keeping the elected government in check.

Important to participate in elections

• Responsible leaders are elected.
• It shows maturity of democracy of a country.
• It determines the future of a country. It is part of decision making.

It is important that everyone turns out to vote in elections, so that every citizen in the country is represented.