National Freedom Party has Julius Malema’s party in its corner
by Staff Writer
2016-06-30 09:05:40.0
THE National Freedom Party (NFP) has the backing of another opposition party in the difficulties it is facing regards its participation in the August 3 municipal polls.
Saying "money or fees payments should never be a basis upon which a political party is allowed to contest elections"‚ the EFF on Wednesday called on the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) and the Electoral Court to allow the NFP to contest the elections.
On Tuesday‚ KwaZulu-Natal IEC head Mawethu Mosery announced that the NFP would be barred from taking part in the poll‚ as it had failed to pay the R90,000 deposit required for participation.
The EFF noted that the "NFP is currently a majority party in some municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal" and the results of the 2014 general showed that a "section of the electorate" had "confidence in the NFP".
"Disallowing the NFP an opportunity to contest the 2016 local government elections will not just be penalising the leadership of the NFP‚ but will be violating voters’ constitutional rights to vote for a political party of their own choice‚" said the EFF’s Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.
"The IEC and Electoral Court should therefore not magnify an administrative fault into a decision that will prevent the whole political party‚ its candidates and voters from participating in a democratic process."
Ndlozi said his party was taking "this principled position because‚ in 2014‚ the EFF challenged the IEC in court over the constitutionality of demanding money from political parties and individuals who want to contest elections".
"We still stand by a view that the IEC should utilise a different criteria to determine the seriousness of political parties and candidates that wish to contest elections‚ other than money‚ because accessibility of money in SA has class‚ racial and even gender connotations."
TMG Digital
Zanele Magwaza-Msibi. Picture: RAJESH JANTILAL
THE National Freedom Party (NFP) has the backing of another opposition party in the difficulties it is facing regards its participation in the August 3 municipal polls.
Saying "money or fees payments should never be a basis upon which a political party is allowed to contest elections"‚ the EFF on Wednesday called on the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) and the Electoral Court to allow the NFP to contest the elections.
On Tuesday‚ KwaZulu-Natal IEC head Mawethu Mosery announced that the NFP would be barred from taking part in the poll‚ as it had failed to pay the R90,000 deposit required for participation.
The EFF noted that the "NFP is currently a majority party in some municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal" and the results of the 2014 general showed that a "section of the electorate" had "confidence in the NFP".
"Disallowing the NFP an opportunity to contest the 2016 local government elections will not just be penalising the leadership of the NFP‚ but will be violating voters’ constitutional rights to vote for a political party of their own choice‚" said the EFF’s Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.
"The IEC and Electoral Court should therefore not magnify an administrative fault into a decision that will prevent the whole political party‚ its candidates and voters from participating in a democratic process."
Ndlozi said his party was taking "this principled position because‚ in 2014‚ the EFF challenged the IEC in court over the constitutionality of demanding money from political parties and individuals who want to contest elections".
"We still stand by a view that the IEC should utilise a different criteria to determine the seriousness of political parties and candidates that wish to contest elections‚ other than money‚ because accessibility of money in SA has class‚ racial and even gender connotations."
TMG Digital
