View noticesDA to challenge single-candidate PR lists in Electoral Court
The party argues that a separate provision of the act should apply instead.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is heading to the Electoral Court to challenge a decision by several of its political opponents to submit only a single candidate's name on their proportional representation (PR) lists for municipalities they are contesting.
Lyndsay Dentlinger reports for EWN that the party has accused ActionSA, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party and Good of deliberately concealing candidates from voters, arguing the move amounts to bad faith.
DA Federal Council chairperson Ashor Sarupen said the parties concerned were attempting to mislead voters by misinterpreting the law.
The Municipal Structures Act allows the Electoral Commission to ask parties to supplement their PR lists after an election, where too few names were provided to fill the seats won – but the DA maintains this provision was intended only for cases where a party had underestimated its own support and won more seats than its list catered for.
The party argues that a separate provision of the act – barring lists from being supplemented between submission ahead of an election and the first meeting of a new council – should apply instead.
It maintains that by leaving their PR lists incomplete, the parties concerned are denying voters the right to know who they are voting for.