WATCH LIVE | ActionSA and IEC go head-to-head at electoral court

21 October 2021 - 10:42 By TimesLIVE
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Political newcomers ActionSA are on Thursday in a virtual court appearance challenging the Electoral Commission of SA and demanding that Action SA’s name be added to the ballot papers being used for the November 1 local government elections. 

The case comes after the party realised that its name had been omitted from the ballot papers. It can only be identified by its logo, a predicament 14 other political parties find themselves in. 

Explaining this, the IEC said it was the party’s fault, as it failed to submit an abbreviated name when it first registered as a party.

“The absence of the abbreviated name of ActionSA on the ward ballots is because, at the point of registering as a party, ActionSA elected not to register an abbreviated name or acronym. ActionSA, in its documents in which it applied for registration as a political party and which must be publicly lodged in terms of the regulations, responded with a ‘Not Applicable’ in the space where the political party was required to indicate its abbreviated name,” said IEC spokesperson Kate Bapela.

ActionSA, in its court papers, argues that the decision is irrational and not in line with the constitution. It cites the Electoral Act, which it says does not require a political party to have an abbreviated name.  

TimesLIVE


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