Report of Commission

(1) Whenever a Delimitation Commission has been appointed the Commission shall as soon as practicable submit to the President a report which shall state whether any alteration is necessary to the boundaries of the constituencies in order to give effect to subsection (2) of this section or in consequence of any alteration in the number of seats of Elected Members in the National Assembly and where any alteration is necessary shall include a list of the constituencies delimited by the Commission and a description of the boundaries of those constituencies. (2) The boundaries of each constituency shall be such that the number of inhabitants thereof is as nearly equal to the population quota as is reasonably practicable: Provided that the number of inhabitants of a constituency may be greater or less than the population quota in order to take account of natural community of interest, means of communication, geographical features, density of population, and the boundaries of Tribal Territories and administrative districts. (3) In this section “population quota” means the number obtained by dividing the number of inhabitants of Botswana (as ascertained by reference to the latest comprehensive national population census in Botswana) by the number of constituencies into which Botswana is divided under section 63 of this Constitution. (4) The President shall as soon as practicable after the submission of the report of the Delimitation Commission, by Proclamation published in the Gazette , declare the boundaries of the constituencies as delimited by the Commission. (5) A Proclamation made under subsection (4) of this section shall come into force at the next dissolution of the National Assembly after it is made. (6) The Commission may by regulation or otherwise regulate its own procedure and may, subject to its rules of procedure, act notwithstanding any vacancy in its membership or the absence of any member and its proceedings shall not be invalidated by the presence or participation of any person not entitled to be present at or to participate in those proceedings: Provided that any decision of the Commission shall require the concurrence of a majority of all its members. (7) In the exercise of its functions under this section the Delimitation Commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority. (8) A Delimitation Commission shall stand dissolved upon the date on which its report is delivered to the President.