English: Fair and free elections are the foundation of any healthy democracy, and it's about time that the people of Wales had an opportunity to give an injection of energy to this Senedd and to elect a new Government after a five-year term, which is already lengthy in comparative terms - too long in my view, but we're not here to discuss that today. It's not lightly that this Senedd is asked to consent to the Government introducing a piece of legislation that would allow the delaying of the election, therefore. In discussing the report of the elections planning group back in November, Adam Price said that 'it's difficult to anticipate a situation where Senedd elections would have to be postponed.' However, the experience of the past few months has shown us that we can take nothing for granted, and that is so very true. Since then, a new variant of the virus has been discovered, we're back in a strict lockdown, and whilst the vaccination efforts do provide some hope, there is some way to go. And although we do truly want this election to be held on 6 May, all of a sudden 6 May feels very close. We do support the Government's request of the Senedd to treat this Bill under the emergency procedure, but not unconditionally. Despite the tight timetable, it's important that scrutiny of the Bill is robust and comprehensive. We need the draft legislation to be published as soon as possible. The Member in charge of the Bill has already reached out to opposition parties. We expect that to continue, and with the Senedd Commission too, in order to fully recognise the fact that this is not a normal Bill by any means, and that everything needs to be done to safeguard the integrity of the democratic process. Public health and the health of our democracy is at the front of our minds as a party, as is the case with every other party, hopefully. I noted that the Government's statement attached to this motion states that the pandemic represents two risks to the integrity of the election: one in the ability of constituents to participate in the election; the second for administrators to actually hold the election. I think there is a third major risk too. It's not the 6 May date that's important but the period leading up to that, that period of engaging with the people of Wales. We're talking about electing a national Government here that will guide us as a nation through the post-pandemic period, and we need to have that full public debate. Apart from the fact that the election, I suppose, is the last thing on the minds of many people - many are ill, many are suffering economically, many will have lost loved ones even - there are also practical considerations emerging from the democratic deficit, the weakness of the press in Wales and the inability, even, to distribute leaflets about the election, which is very important in Welsh elections because of that deficit in the media. We need clarity on that final point. In response to a written question from Siân Gwenllian, the First Minister stated that distributing election leaflets was unlawful under the level 4 restrictions. I heard somebody mention that, 'You can share as many pizza pamphlets as you like but no pamphlets relating to a democratic process that is so very important.' On the other hand, one of the Welsh police forces has said that it should be allowed, because distributing leaflets is work that cannot be done from home. So, we need clarity on those issues. I understand that nations that have held elections during the pandemic, such as the United States, have even allowed some door-to-door campaigning. So, we need to know exactly what could be allowed. Now, whilst social media is an option, not everyone makes use of social media, and it's very important to bear that in mind. The royal mail is very expensive. In Arfon at the moment I think people have been without a postal service because of the impact of COVID on the postal workforce. And in terms of the cost, the Chartists were in the vanguard at one time in their call to make elections free in all aspects, not just for the wealthy. So, despite the understandable restrictions as a result of the pandemic, we must safeguard that principle too. Now, in conclusion, and staying with the theme of the fairness and integrity of the election, there is an inherent fairness, one could argue, in the dissolution period in order to safeguard public funds from being misused and not favouring some candidates over the other. We will scrutinise that proposal to reduce the dissolution period from 21 days to seven, given the implications to purdah, civil service arrangements, broadcast arrangements and so on, but most importantly in terms of getting a grip on the spread of the virus. The worst thing possible would be a Government and a Senedd dealing with the worst wave of the pandemic whilst in the midst of an election campaign. As I said, it's about time we had an election. It should be on 6 May. Our aspiration would be that it should be held then, but, of course, this virus has proved over the past year that it is a master of us all -
Welsh: Mae etholiadau teg a rhydd yn sylfaen unrhyw ddemocratiaeth iach, ac mae'n hen bryd, i siarad yn blaen, i bobl Cymru gael y cyfle i roi chwistrelliad o egni newydd i'r Senedd yma ac i ddewis Llywodraeth newydd ar ôl tymor pum mlynedd o hyd, sy'n barod yn dymor hir iawn mewn termau cymharol - rhy hir yn fy marn i, ond nid yma i drafod hynny ydw i heddiw. Nid ar chwarae bach, felly, mae'r Senedd yma yn cael cais i gydsynio i'r Llywodraeth gyflwyno darn o ddeddfwriaeth fyddai'n galluogi oedi dyddiad etholiadau y Senedd. Wrth drafod adroddiad y grŵp cynllunio etholiadau yn ôl ym mis Tachwedd, mi ddywedodd Adam Price, 'mae'n anodd rhagweld sefyllfa lle byddai'n rhaid gohirio etholiadau'r Senedd erbyn hyn.' Er hynny, mae profiad y misoedd diwethaf wedi dangos i ni na allwn ni ddim cymryd dim byd yn ganiataol, ac mae hynny mor wir. Ers hynny, mi gafodd amrywiolyn newydd o'r feirws ei ganfod, rydym ni'n ôl mewn cyfnod clo llym, a thra bod yr ymdrech frechu'n cynnig gobaith, mae yna gryn ffordd i fynd. Ac er ein bod ni wir eisiau i'r etholiad yma all cael ei chynnal ar 6 Mai, yn sydyn reit mae 6 Mai yn teimlo yn agos iawn. Rydym ni yn cefnogi cais y Llywodraeth i'r Senedd drin y Bil arfaethedig dan y weithdrefn frys, ond nid yn ddiamod. Er gwaethaf yr amserlen dynn, mae'n bwysig bod y craffu ar y Bil yn gadarn a chynhwysfawr. Mae eisiau i'r ddeddfwriaeth ddrafft gael ei chyhoeddi ar y cyfle cynharaf. Mae'r Aelod sydd yng ngofal y Bil eisoes wedi estyn allan at y gwrthbleidiau. Rydym ni'n disgwyl i hynny barhau, ac efo Comisiwn y Senedd hefyd, er mwyn llawn cydnabod y ffaith nad Bil arferol yw hwn a bod angen gwneud popeth i warchod integriti'r broses ddemocrataidd. Iechyd cyhoeddus ac iechyd ein democratiaeth fydd flaenaf yn ein meddyliau ni fel plaid a phob plaid arall, gobeithio, wrth ymdrin â hyn. Roeddwn i'n sylwi bod datganiad y Llywodraeth sydd ynghlwm â'r cynnig yma yn dweud bod y pandemig yn cynrychioli dau risg i integriti yr etholiad: un i allu etholwyr i gymryd rhan yn yr etholiad ei hun; yr ail i weinyddwyr allu cynnal yr etholiad. Dwi'n meddwl bod yna drydydd risg mawr: nid dyddiad 6 Mai sydd yn bwysig mewn gwirionedd, ond y cyfnod cyn hynny o ymgysylltu â phobl Cymru. Rydyn ni'n sôn am ethol Llywodraeth genedlaethol fydd yn ein tywys ni fel gwlad yn y cyfnod ar ôl COVID. Mae angen cael y drafodaeth honno yn llawn. Ar wahân i'r ffaith mai'r etholiad, tybiwn i, ydy'r peth olaf ar feddyliau llawer o bobl - rhai yn sâl, yn dioddef yn economaidd, rhai wedi colli anwyliaid hyd yn oed - mae yna ystyriaethau ymarferol iawn yn deillio o'r diffyg democrataidd, gwendid cymharol y wasg yng Nghymru, a'r diffyg gallu, hyd yn oed, i ddosbarthu taflenni yn rhannu gwybodaeth am yr etholiad, sy'n beth pwysig iawn mewn etholiad yng Nghymru oherwydd y diffyg yna yn y wasg. Mae angen eglurder ar y pwynt olaf hwnnw. Mewn ateb i gwestiwn ysgrifenedig gan Siân Gwenllian, mi ddywedodd y Prif Weinidog bod dosbarthu taflenni etholiad yn anghyfreithlon dan reoliadau cyfyngiadau lefel 4. Mi glywais i sôn, rhywun yn dweud, 'Allwch chi rannu faint fynnir o bamffledi gwerthu pitsa ond dim taflenni yn ymwneud â phroses ddemocrataidd mor bwysig.' Ar y llaw arall, mae un o heddluoedd Cymru, dwi'n meddwl, wedi dweud y dylid ei ganiatáu, oherwydd bod rhannu taflenni yn waith na ellir ei wneud o gartref. Felly, mae eisiau eglurder ar hynny. Dwi'n deall bod gwledydd sydd wedi cynnal etholiadau yn y pandemig, fel America, hyd yn oed wedi caniatáu peth ymgyrchu drws i ddrws. Felly, mae eisiau gwybod yn union beth fyddai'n gallu cael ei ganiatáu. Rŵan, tra bod y cyfryngau cymdeithasol yn opsiwn, dydy pawb ddim yn defnyddio y cyfryngau cymdeithasol - mae'n bwysig iawn cofio hynny. Mae'r post brenhinol yn ddrud iawn. Yn Arfon ar hyn o bryd dwi'n meddwl bod pobl wedi bod heb bost oherwydd COVID yn taro gweithwyr post. Ac o ran y gost, mi oedd y Siartwyr, wrth gwrs, o flaen eu hamser ar un adeg, ar flaen y gad yn eu galwad am wneud etholiadau yn rhydd ym mhob hanfod, nid dim ond i'r cyfoethog. Felly, er gwaethaf cyfyngiadau dealladwy iawn y pandemig, mae'n rhaid diogelu yr egwyddor hwnnw. Rŵan, i gloi, yn aros efo'r thema tegwch ac integriti'r etholiad, mae yna degwch cynhennid, allwch chi ddadlau, yn y cyfnod diddymu er mwyn diogelu adnoddau cyhoeddus rhag y canfyddiad o gamddefnydd ac i beidio â ffafrio rhai ymgeiswyr dros y lleill. Mi fyddwn ni'n craffu'n ofalus ar y bwriad i gwtogi'r cyfnod diddymu o 21 diwrnod i saith, gan ystyried goblygiadau hynny i ganllawiau purdah y gwasanaeth sifil, trefniadau'r darlledwyr ac ati, ond, yn bwysicach na dim, wrth gwrs, y gafael ar ledaeniad yr haint. Y gwaethaf o'r ddau fyddai Llywodraeth a Senedd sy'n delio â'r don waethaf eto o'r pandemig ar y naill law ond ym merw ymgyrch etholiad ar y llall. Fel dwi'n dweud, mae'n hen bryd cael etholiad. Mi ddylai fo fod ar 6 Mai. Ein dymuniad ni fyddai iddo fo fod bryd hynny, ond, wrth gwrs, mae'r feirws yma wedi profi dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf ei fod o'n gryn feistr arnom ni -