AS AN opposition party, the DA is required to keep an “eagle eye” on processes within the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), says DA leader John Steenhuisen.
Steenhuisen was speaking during a virtual briefing on the DA’s readiness for the upcoming local government elections.
The IEC faced criticism from the DA when the commission announced the reopening of candidate registrations.
This decision was challenged by the DA which approached the Constitutional Court. It argued that the IEC’s announcement was illegal and unconstitutional.
The DA’s court bid failed. The court order allowed the ANC to get its candidate list in order after it failed to meet the first deadline on August 23.
Candidate submissions were reopened and allowed for parties to make submissions on September 21.
The DA argued that the conclusion would be ineluctable, given the IEC’s previous disqualifications of other parties for missing deadlines in the 2011 and 2016 elections – decisions that were upheld by the Electoral Court at the time.
Steenhuisen said the commission favoured the ANC.
“Our job, as an opposition, is to keep an eagle-eye on the IEC and to raise questions and concerns. I still maintain if it was the DA that never got their candidate lists, it would have been a completely different story.
“The IEC, in their own papers, said they couldn’t open the candidate lists again, but then two-and-a-half weeks later… somersault… suddenly they can open again. It’s something we are going to have to watch,” he said.
Political Bureau