The composition of PECs (Articles 36 and 37) was also changed by the 2005 and 2006 amendments. The number of PEC members was reduced from fifteen to a maximum of nine.[42] Of these, DECs appoint three persons as ‘non-partisan’ members. District elections commissions selected PEC members where the persons were known to the District elections commissions and based on applicants’ qualifications and electoral experience. In addition, the three top-scoring parties in the last parliamentary election (currently the National Movement, the New Rights, and the Labour Party) each have the right to appoint two PEC members. The concerns expressed above regarding DECs independence are also valid as regards PEC composition. Out of the nine PEC members, majorities can be formed that de facto exclude opposition parties appointees from the decision making process and from managerial position on Precinct elections commissions (PEC Chair, Deputy-Chair and Secretary are elected by PEC members from among themselves).
