South Africa’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) is rushing to meet Monday’s deadline to consider whether it would be practically possible to hold another voter registration ahead of polls in October.
The Constitutional Court ruled on Friday against the IEC’s application to postpone the election until February next year.
It ruled that the local elections must be held on any day between 27 October and 1 November and further ordered the commission to determine within three calendar days whether it was practically possible to hold a voter registration weekend.
Meanwhile the ANC has come out fighting in its bid to force the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) to reopen registration process for candidates in 93 municipalities including the three crucial metros in Gauteng.
The judgment shattered the ruling party’s hopes of having another opportunity to register some of its candidates in 93 municipalities.
If the Constitutional Court postpones the local government election scheduled for the end of October, despite the constitutional requirement that the election be held before 1 November this year, the ruling would be of immense benefit to the governing African National Congress. But if the election proceeds as planned, the ANC is likely to take a severe electoral blow.
The commission will make announcements relating to the electoral programme and its readiness tomorrow.