Feb 13, 2009

Afrikaner: Poll Confusion


Active ImagePresident Motlanthe goes ahead with election date despite Freedom Front Plus requesting South Africans working abroad the right to vote.

 

 

Below is an article published by: Business Day

President Kgalema Motlanthe has gone ahead and promulgated the election date — April 22 [2009] — even though the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) will ask the Constitutional Court to give South Africans working abroad the right to vote.


The proclamation means that the voters’ roll must close and the election date is final.
Therefore, it is likely that more than 1-million South Africans working overseas will not be able to vote.


FF+ leader Pieter Mulder said yesterday that the promulgation showed contempt of the Constitutional Court as SA’s highest constitutional body.


“The FF+, out of respect for the Presidency, did not add the president to our original application but continuously kept him up to date with the developments.


“President Motlanthe’s proclamation of the election is now creating confusion and uncertainty with the public and South African citizens living abroad who wish to vote. A confirmation by the Constitutional Court on March 4 [2009] that section 33 of the Electoral Act is unconstitutional and that South African citizens living overseas are allowed to vote will humiliate President Motlanthe and the Presidency’s proclamation of today.”


Mulder said Motlanthe should know that certain sections of the constitution made it possible for the Constitutional Court to still set the necessary steps in motion that would allow South African citizens living overseas to vote. This is what the party planned to ask the court to do.
If the party is successful, it is likely that the election will have to be delayed.


The Independent Electoral Commission confirmed the promulgation.


Motlanthe’s spokesman Thabo Masebe said that the president was not in contempt of court as there was no interdict stopping him from proclaiming the date.