The Senate President, Senator David Mark has restated that the handover date of May 29 is sacrosanct.

Declaring open a one day public hearing on the bill for the second alteration of the 1999 constitution, Senator David Mark advised the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] to ensure that it conducts the polls not earlier than 90 days before the expiration of government in power and not later than 30 days before the end of the tenure of the government.

Senator Mark said that if this is not done, it may jeopardize the may29th handover date and put the countries democracy at risk.

The Senate had on Thursday assured that it would ensure that the processes for the amendment of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2010 do not affect the May 29, 2011 handover date.

Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu stated the Senate�s position when he received a delegation from the National Democratic Institute (NDI), who visited the National Assembly to ascertain the nation�s level of preparedness for the 2011 general elections.

Reacting to insinuations that the amendment of the constitution and Electoral Act may be used as an excuse to elongate the tenure of the Jonathan administration beyond May 29, 2011, Ekweremadu declared: "We want to assure Nigerians and the international community that we are committed to ensuring credible elections in 2011.

"We will not allow anything that will alter the May 29, handover date," the Deputy Senate President said, adding that the National Assembly is doing its best to ensure the speedy passage of the amendments to the constitution and the 2010 Electoral Act to extend the time lines for the polls to give the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) adequate time to prepare for the elections.

Speaking earlier at the meeting, leader of the NDI delegation and former President of Botswana, Mr. Quett Ketumile Masire, stressed the need for voters� education to ensure adequate participation of Nigerians in the elections.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, Senator Ike Ekwerenmadu has given hints of expected amendments to the electoral act 2010.

Senator Ekwerenmadu said the provision of 90 days by the act for the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] to give notice of election has been increased to 120 days, while the time stipulated by the act for political parties to make their list of candidates for the election is being changed from 60 days to 90 days before the elections.

He added that the proposed amendment is to ensure that the electoral management body conducts a credible election in 2011.