ANC lawyers say IEC, MK Party case will pave way elections are conducted in future

BLOEMFONTEIN - Lawyers representing the African National Congress (ANC) say the case against the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) and the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party will pave the way for how elections are conducted in the future.

The governing party is challenging the registration of the new political formation, which is backed by former ANC member Jacob Zuma, in the Electoral Court.

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It contends that the MK Party unlawfully supplemented its initial application after it was found to be defective and that the gazette that was published wasn’t correctly formatted.

The respondents complained that the case was filed out of time but Advocate Tshidiso Ramogale for the ANC, pleaded with the court to make a decision based on the merits.

"There is a need to provide the commission guidance on that aspect, particularly because I think they touch three or four examples where they have done it with other parties. So, if we are correct that the way in which they’ve been exercising that particular power is unlawful, there is a need to stop that now because it is not just about this election. 

"It is about every by-election, every local government election, every municipal election, every provincial election, every national election thereafter if the way in which the commission has been exercising its power, which we say is unlawful, continues," he said.