The Plenary Sitting of the Senate on Friday, June 2, unanimously adopted the revision of the Constitution paving way for holding the election of the President of the Republic and members of Parliament (MPs) on the same day, among other changes.

All the 25 senators who were present at the plenary session for the vote on the draft revision of the constitution, unanimously adopted it.

ALSO READ: Lower House adopts constitutional revision with minor adjustments

According to the report presented by the Vice Senate President in charge of Parliamentary Affairs, Esperance Nyirasafari, there were no major amendments made to the draft revision, which was previously approved by the Chamber of Deputies on May 10. The Senate&039;s approval was necessary as it has the authority to vote on constitutional amendments or revisions.

ALSO READ: NEC wants presidential, parliamentary polls held simultaneously

The revision of the constitution aims to reduce the time dedicated to organizing elections. The government's explanatory note stated that synchronizing the dates of the election of deputies and the presidential election will allow for their simultaneous organization, thereby reducing the overall time required. Additionally, combining the budgets allocated for both elections will result in cost savings on electoral activities.

ALSO READ: Gov't to save Rwf6bn through harmonising presidential, MPs elections

The draft revision of the constitution, consisting of 176 articles, maintained the same number of articles following the Senate's approval. Among these articles, 156 remained unchanged, 12 underwent drafting amendments, and eight received substantive amendments, according to Nyirasafari.

One of the articles that underwent substantive amendments is Article 75, which pertains to the composition of the Chamber of Deputies and the election of its members. The amendment added a paragraph specifying the election of 24 women Deputies elected by specific electoral colleges, two Deputies elected by the National Youth Council, and one Deputy elected by the National Council of Persons with Disabilities. These elections will take place in accordance with the national administrative entities and relevant legislation.

ALSO READ: Which articles will be affected in new constitutional review?

Nyirasafari emphasized that the main purpose of the constitutional revision is to synchronize the presidential and parliamentary election calendars to hold them on the same day.

"The election of MPs was due this year, while that of the President of the Republic will be held next year in 2024. Holding them on the same day brings a lot of benefits, and we thank the Head of State who initiated it," she said.