A Cabinet meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame last week approved a bill for the amendment of the law governing the National Electoral Commission (NEC).

NEC currently operates under the 2005 law that sets out the structure and operations of the commission.

According to the Executive Secretary of NEC, Charles Munyaneza, the amendments are slight and concern the work of commissioners.

"The current law requires all commissioners to suspend their other assignments or jobs not related to elections a month to the run up of any elections. The amendment will extend the period to two months,” said Munyaneza.

Article 10 of the current law governing the electoral commission indicates that, ‘during the period of general elections, the Commissioners shall suspend their duties one month before the elections in order to monitor the activities of the elections until the announcement of the final results.’

"They resume their duties with no effect at the end of that period. During that period of general elections, a presidential decree shall determine the benefits to be accorded to commissioners.”

Currently, the electoral commission has a college of seven commissioners including the chairperson and the vice-chairperson

The seven Commissioners from different political parties and the civil society are elected by the Senate for a renewable term of three years.

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