Following the dissolution of the Sarawak legislative assembly today, the Election Commission (EC) announced it will hold a special meeting on Thursday, April 14, to discuss the 11th Sarawak state election.

EC secretary Abdul Ghani Salleh said today the meeting would be held at the Dewan Muhibbah of the Merdeka Palace Hotel in Kuching at 9.30am, and it would be chaired by EC chairperson Mohd Hashim Abdullah.

The meeting would decide on the dates for nomination, early voting and polling, the electoral rolls to be used and preparations to conduct the election, Ghani said in a statement.

He also said that the EC chairperson would hold a press conference after the meeting.

The state election must be held within 60 days of the dissolution of the state legislative assembly.

The 11th state election will see contest for 82 seats, 11 more than in the last election that was held in 2011, following the redelineation of the state electoral constituencies.

Meanwhile, Sarawak state assembly speaker Mohammad Asfia Awang Nassar said a caretaker government would administer the state following the dissolution of the assembly.

He said the caretaker government would function as the usual government.

“The caretaker government cannot approve projects,” he told Bernama and RTM at his office in Kuching today.

The chief minister and cabinet will continue to serve until the appointment of a new government by the Yang Dipertua Negeri Abdul Taib Mahmud in accordance with Article 6 (3)(b)(i)(ii) of the Sarawak state constitution.

- Bernama