Solomon Islands could see a rise in the number of seats in the National Parliament from the current fifty to seventy next year.
The Prime Minister, Dr Derek Sikua said this in parliament yesterday when he tabled the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2009 which stipulates increasing the number of seats from the current maximum fifty seats to the proposed new maximum seventy seats.He said the amendment bill has been put together following the receipt of submissions from provincial governments and individuals by the National Government.
Submissions had been received from Western, Central Islands, Rennell-Bellona, Makira, Isabel and Temotu Provinces which all support the increase of parliamentary seats which would also mean an automatic increase in the number of constituencies.
Malaita, Guadalcanal, Choiseul Provinces and the Honiara City Council are yet to make submissions.
The submissions call for the increase in parliamentary seats to cater for the rise in the country's population, different language groupings and to split larger constituencies.
Constituency Boundaries were last reviewed between 1992 and l995.
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