DA to legally oppose moving of polls to February
The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it plans to oppose the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) application to postpone the local government elections.
his follows a report by retired Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke that recommended that the October 27 polls be postponed to February 2022.
The report found that the health risks posed by the Covid-19 pandemic would come in the way of free and fair elections.
But the official opposition party doesn’t believe this to be true.
“The deadline for our submission is today, and we have resolved to make it public because the matter is of vital national importance,” DA federal chairperson Helen Zille said in a virtual press briefing on Wednesday.
“The DA, as a political party contesting the election, is an interested and affected party and is therefore entitled to join the IEC’s application to the Constitutional Court. We do so in order to oppose the IEC’s request for a postponement of the election.”
Zille added the party’s submission shows scientific evidence in support of their position to hold elections later this year, as well as the logistical requirements to go ahead with elections in October.
“In addition, we show that there are viable alternatives for the IEC, short of asking the court to amend the Constitution, to address the identified risks, and fix the identified shortcomings in their current preparations for an October election within the remaining time frames,” Zille added.
“This applies particularly to voter registration, which is an indispensable element of holding a free and fair election in terms of the Constitution.”
It’s unclear when the urgent application will be heard in court.
