Sacking Tlakula 'hasty and illegal', says Selfe

13 April 2014 - 02:59 By Jan-Jan Joubert
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The Democratic Alliance will not support efforts by other opposition parties to have Independent Electoral Commission chairwoman Pansy Tlakula sacked.

DA federal executive chairman James Selfe, who served in a parliamentary ad hoc committee that investigated allegations against Tlakula, said his party believed sacking her would be hasty and illegal.

He said any complaints against Tlakula in her former position as chief electoral officer, and thus as a staff member of the commission, ought to be dealt with by the IEC.

"The IEC must come up with a recommendation about what they see as appropriate action ... The Electoral Court can only act on the actions of commissioners while they are commissioners, not while they were staff members," said Selfe.

The United Democratic Movement, the United Christian Democratic Party, the African Christian Democratic Party, the Azanian People's Organisation and the Economic Freedom Fighters are calling for Tlakula to step down following findings against her by public prosecutor Thuli Madonsela regarding the lease of the IEC head office in Centurion, Gauteng.

Tlakula was chief electoral officer, not chairwoman, during the relevant period.

The ad hoc committee rejected Madonsela's call for Tlakula to be investigated by the Electoral Court.

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