Section 28 – Power of Presiding Officer to schedule extraordinary general elections
88.Section 3 of the 1998 Act (extraordinary general elections) provides for the Presiding Officer to propose a date for the holding of a poll for a general election, in two circumstances—
where the Parliament resolves that it should be dissolved. If the resolution is passed on a division, it requires two-thirds of the total membership of the Parliament to vote in favour (i.e. 2/3 of 129 = 86); or
where the Parliament fails to nominate one of its members for appointment as First Minister within the time allowed under section 46.
89.This section creates an exception to that. It amends section 3 to provide that the Presiding Officer may not propose a day for the holding of a poll if either of the events mentioned above occurs within the period of 8 weeks ending with the day on which the poll at the next ordinary general election would be held. In other words, where an ordinary general election is scheduled to take place within 8 weeks, no extraordinary general election may be held.
