Section 10: Claims

10. Claims (1) (a) A person, in this Act referred to as a “claimant”, who— (i) claims to be entitled to be registered as an elector and is not already entered on the electors’ list for the electoral area in which he claims to be registered; (ii) being entered on the electors’ list, does not have the same qualifications as described in the list; or (iii) is, in any other manner, incorrectly entered on the electors’ list, may, between 16 May and 30 May in every year, appear before the registration officer of the constituency in which he claims to be registered as an elector and present his claim to be registered or to be correctly registered in the manner set out in Form D or Form E, as the case may be, of the Schedule. (b) At the time of the publication of the electors’ list— (i) the registration officer shall cause a notice in the manner set out in Form F of the Schedule to be published in the Gazette informing all persons in his constituency of paragraph (a) and shall affix copies of the notice at conspicuous places in his constituency; and (ii) the Electoral Commissioner shall give public notice of paragraph (a). R20 – 9 [Issue 9] Representation of the People Act (2) (a) A claimant shall, in the presence of the registration officer receiving the claim, sign and date his claim which shall also be signed by the registration officer. (b) Where a claimant is incapacitated or declares that he cannot read or write, the registration officer shall require him to impress his thumb print on the registration form and the registration officer shall sign and date the form. (c) Where, for a physical reason, the claimant cannot affix his thumb print, he may affix the print of another finger. (d) Where, for a physical reason, a claimant cannot affix the print of any finger, the registration officer shall insert a note to that effect on the registration form. (3) The registration officer, when receiving claims under this section, shall not allow to be present inside his office any person other than the officers connected with the procedure for registration, the claimant and one of his relatives and his Counsel or attorney and such other members of the public as can be accommodated in the public gallery. (4) (a) Subject to paragraph (b), a claimant who, knowingly makes a statement which is false in any material particular advanced by him, shall commit an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding 500 rupees and to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months. (b) Where the false statement has been made on oath, the person making it shall be liable to the penalty provided under section 195 of the Courts Act, for the offence of swearing a false affidavit. (5) (a) A service elector who claims to be entitled to be registered in any year shall, not later than 30 May in that year, make a declaration by sending to the Electoral Commissioner a notice in Form G of the Schedule. (b) The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry responsible for the subject of external affairs shall, not later than 30 May in every year, give written notice to the Electoral Commissioner of the name of every person who— (i) is entitled to be registered as a service elector; or (ii) has ceased to be so entitled. [S. 10 amended by GN 10 of 1996; s. 44 (d) of Act 18 of 2016 w.e.f. 7 September 2016.]