21 Autonomous Region of Bougainville Const. sch. 2.14. 22 Graeme Edgeler, Pandemic Preparedness and the New Zealand General Election, Public Address (March 15, 2020 1:00 PM), available at https://publicaddress.net/legalbeagle/pandemic-preparedness-andthe-new-zealand/. 23 Andrew Geddis, Comment to Pandemic Preparedness and the New Zealand General Election, PUBLIC ADDRESS (March 15, 2020 1:00 PM), available at https://publicaddress.net/legalbeagle/pandemicpreparedness-and-the-new-zealand/. 24 Michael Clegg, et al., IFES, The Hierarchy of Laws: Understanding and Implementing the Legal Frameworks that Govern Elections (September 22, 2016), available at https://www.ifes.org/sites/default/ files/2016_ifes_hierarchy_of_laws.pdf. 25 Const. art. 61(b) (2008) (Myanmar). 26 Const. § 119, 123, 151, 154, 171 (2008) (Myanmar); Myanmar Elect. L. § 34 (2010) (providing the EMB announces the election date). Under Sections 119 and 151 of the Constitution of Myanmar, the term of the legislature (made up of upper and lower houses) is five years from the first day of their first session. In 2016, the legislature was convened and MPs were sworn in on February 1, which means that the current term will end on January 31, 2021. Under Section 123, the first regular session of a term of the lower house “shall be held within 90 days after the commencement of the general election”. The schedule of the upper house is linked to that of the lower house (Section 154a), as are the schedules of the state and region legislatures (section 171a). The exact deadline in January is a practical one relating to how quickly it would be feasible to announce the election results and assemble the winning candidates in Naypyitaw for a February 1 convening of the Pyithu Hluttaw in accordance with Section 123 of the Constitution. Myanmar Constitution § 123. In 2015 most results were announced within a week with a few remote constituencies being announced by two weeks. 27 Const. art. 128 (N. Maced.). 28 Const. art. 107 (Bougainville). 29 Autonomous Bougainville Government, Autonomous Bougainville Government Declares State of Emergency (March 24, 2020), available at http://www.abg.gov.pg/index.php/news/read/autonomousbougainville-government-declares-state-of-emergency. 30 Const. art. 57 (Bougainville). 31 Election Watch 1-2020 – Suspension of Election Activities, Veritas Zimbabwe (May 17, 2020), available at http://www.veritaszim.net/node/4168. 32 Neil Johnston, HC Briefing Paper, No. 08856, Coronavirus Act: Elections, available at https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&ved=2ahUKEwiA5b_ AsanpAhXnkHIEHfiBDRIQFjAFegQIBBAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fresearchbriefings.files.parliament. uk%2Fdocuments%2FCBP-8856%2FCBP-8856.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0VnmvwFXhLAEQ5ag59AdIs. As the Explanatory Notes to the Coronavirus Bill noted, “there is no existing legislative provision that allows for any of the statutory polls scheduled for 7 May to be postponed. There are some powers to move poll dates by secondary legislation, but these are only available significantly in advance and can no longer be used for 7 May polls.” 33 Id. 34 The rationale for canceling versus “suspending” the elections was the difficulty in rectifying fundamental rights that were affected by a suspension midway through the electoral process. For example, it would be impossible to enroll new voters or add additional candidates, thereby disenfranchising people who turned 18 in the interim. 35 Aizhmal Dzhamankulova, In Kyrgyzstan, Because of the Coronavirus, the Elections Were Transferred to Local Keneshes, Kloop (March 23, 2020), (stating that Bishkek, Osh, Jalal-Abad cities, Nookat and Kara-Suu districts of Osh region, and the Suzak district of Jalal-Abad region postponed elections). 36 Illcho Cvetanoski Skopje, North Macedonia, Coronavirus Stops Elections, Osservatorio Balcanie Casucaso Transeuropa (March 13, 2020), available at https://www.balcanicaucaso.org/eng/Areas/NorthMacedonia/North-Macedonia-coronavirus-stops-elections-200237. -24- International Foundation for Electoral Systems