IEC denies election postponement
While a legal storm brews, the IEC has planned to file an urgent appeal with the Constitutional Court against postponement of the by-elections.
Will the 2016 Local Government Elections (LGE) go ahead as planned?
Numerous and varied reports have provided little clarity, although the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is adamant it will not consider postponing the elections later this year.
Chief Communication Officer, Kate Bapela has even called contrary reports inaccurate.
“What we are doing is calling for all South Africans to check their addresses on the voters’ roll.”
Confusion surrounding the LGEs stemmed from a decision by the IEC, to postpone by-elections in the contentious Tlokwe (Potchefstroom) area last week.
This was a direct result of an order from the Electoral Court, which governs the IEC.
According to various sources, the court order was passed down on the basis of the Tlokwe voters’ roll containing insufficient information.
For example, many in poorer sections of Tlokwe do not have physical addresses.
While a legal storm brews, the IEC has planned to file an urgent appeal with the Constitutional Court (ConCourt), against postponement of the by-elections.
It also seeks clarity from the ConCourt on eligibility of voters with no residing address.
Following an extraordinary meeting of the commission last week, it resolved to ’embark on a variety of initiatives to update the voters’ roll with as many addresses for voters as possible’, ahead of both by-elections and the LGEs.
It was also resolved to continue with preparations for the LGEs as planned.
“Since the inception of the voters’ roll in 1998, the (IEC) has held the view that disenfranchising a voter on the basis of a lack of formal address is unacceptable, in a country where there are millions of people who live in informal settlements and in rural communities,” the IEC website read.
