DIRECTOR of Elections Danville Walker says the number of parliamentary constituencies will not be increased in time for the next general elections, as the process is not expected to be completed by then.

The next parliamentary elections are due in October this year.

The bill to increase the number of constituencies from 60 to 65 was tabled last week by Deputy House Leader Fitz Jackson, to prevent a possible tie, similar to that which occurred in Trinidad and Tobago in 2001.

“I don’t know that they will actually increase the number of seats before the general election, and I really don’t foresee any change happening by then,” Walker told the Observer.

He explained that the bill will simply increase the upper limit as the Constitution of Jamaica has set an upper limit for the number of constituencies the country can be divided into.

“That doesn’t mean that tomorrow morning you are going to get two additional constituencies,” he said. He added that the upper limit had to be increased first so as to determine the number of constituencies to increase it to.

When this is done, Walker said, the Electoral Commission would then have to determine the number to increase the seats to and the necessary boundary changes.

He said the purpose for increasing the number of constituencies would avoid a tie as took place in Trinidad, where they had 30 seats and the two major parties won 15 each. “Because we also have an even number we would want to avoid the possibility of that happening,” he said.

The steps to increase the number of seats comes three years after a Standing Committee, appointed by the House of Representatives, recommended that the constitution be amended to increase the maximum number from 60 to 65.