IEC Files Concourt Application For Postponement Of 27 October Polls.


By Phumzile Mavimbela

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) chief electoral officer, Sy Mamabolo said that it would file papers on Wednesday afternoon in its application to the Constitutional Court for a postponement of the 27 October local government elections.

 " This court application is an extraordinary one and presumably unprecedented. The issues which are core to the application have a bearing on the political rights of citizens as well as the right to life, bodily and psychological integrity and access to health. The application will undoubtedly offer the constitutional court another opportunity to contribute to the evolving jurisprudence of our constitutional order. The application is also launched on an urgent basis because there is need for certainty on the preparations for the municipal elections. " Said IEC 
 
The IEC said that the electoral body was targeting the last Wednesday in February 2022 for the elections. 

" The Commission and electoral stakeholders are currently in an untenable position where preparations are proceeding for the 27 October whilst at the same anticipating the outcome of the constitutional court application for a possible deferral of elections to February 2022. The nature of the relief sought by the Commission is largely predicated on the impossibility to perform a constitutional obligation which is the conduct of constitutionally compliant elections of municipal councils by 1 November 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures that government has instituted to curb the spread of the virus" 

 The resolution of postponing the elections will depend on the ruling of the Constitutional Court, before which the IEC will filing papers on Wednesday afternoon. 

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