A lobby group's multiple choice questionnaire designed to help the public make “informed” submissions on electoral reform to the Boundaries Commission has been declared largely “irrelevant” by the Commission.

“It is the Commission's view that many of those questions raised are irrelevant to the work of the Commission,” a Commission press release issued yesterday stated.

“The only questions that are relevant are those that relate to the number of Members of Parliament in the House of Assembly. The Commission is anxious to receive the views of the public on the two issues it has to report on, i.e. the number of constituencies and their boundaries.”

Earlier this month the Association for Due Process and the Constitution distributed a multiple choice form - through Island newspapers and at a public lecture on electoral reform and alternatives to the Westminster system - saying the “sample submissions” would help guide the public in making “informed submissions” to the Boundaries Commission.

The forms gave the user options to disregard the Commission's mandate by expressing views which support the status quo of dual seats, the retention of parish boundaries or advocate a different electoral system altogether.

The Association, which has maintained that the Constitution should not be changed without a constitutional conference, also stated that members of the public were fully entitled to express views which were outside the remit of the Commission. And it made clear that by expanding the debate on electoral reform, Whitehall might be influenced to hold a constitutional conference.

The Boundaries Commission statement, released a day after it resumed deliberations following a six week recess, did not mention the Association directly but it did make direct reference to its own mandate.

“Under the Bermuda Constitution (Amendment) Order 2001, the Commission is required to prepare and submit to the Governor a report recommending the number of constituencies into which Bermuda should be divided, being no less than 20 and no more than 40, with a view to each of those constituencies returning one member to the House of Assembly. For that purpose the Commission is required by the new legislation to invite views from members of the public.”

The first in a series of public meetings is to be held tomorrow at the St. Paul's Centennial Hall on Court Street, starting at 7.30 p.m.