The Executive Chairperson of the Institute of Election Management Services in Africa (IEMSA), Terry Tselane, has described as ill-advised and a display of panic the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) decision to approach the Constitutional Court on its case with the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party.
The commission is seeking leave to appeal the Electoral Court’s ruling in favour of the party.
The ruling which was delivered on Tuesday allows the party’s leader Jacob Zuma to contest next month’s elections after the commission disqualified him.
Tselane says the commission appears to be misinterpreting the Constitution.
He says, “So the IEC is making an erroneous mistake in terms of this particular issue. They are not the people who objected. They have powers in terms of Section 30. The chief electoral officer can object to the candidacy of any person. The chief electoral officer never took advantage of that and then now they are appealing a judgment that does not even exist.”
VIDEO: IEC seeks leave to appeal the Electoral Court ruling favouring the MK Party:
Reporting by Tshimangadzo Ntsumbedzeni.
