The Democratic Alliance (DA) is heading to the Electoral Court to challenge the decision by some of its political opponents to only submit the name of a single candidate on its proportional representation (PR) lists for municipalities it's contesting. The party claims parties like ActionSA, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, and Good are deliberately concealing candidates from voters.
According to the DA, these parties are attempting to mislead voters by misinterpreting the law. The Municipal Structures Act makes provision for the Electoral Commission to request parties to supplement their lists immediately after an election, where not enough names have been provided to fill the number of seats a party has attained.
However, the DA argues that this provision was only intended for situations where parties underestimated their support, winning more PR seats than their lists provided for. The party maintains that another provision of the act, which indicates that lists may not be supplemented from the time lists were submitted to the commission ahead of an election, until after the first meeting of a new council, should apply.
The DA’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate, Helen Zille, said this move exposes the autocratic nature of these parties. “They are saying to the voters, we don’t give you a chance to choose who you want to be elected, just vote for us, blind, fly blind in good faith and let us choose after the election.”
DA Federal Council chairperson Ashor Sarupen is arguing that by not fully populating their PR lists, parties are deceiving voters who have the right to know who they are voting for. The DA said it will be asking the Electoral Court to rule on whether political parties can use the legal provisions for topping up lists after an election as an electoral strategy to conceal candidates from voters.
The DA's action has been sparked by concerns over transparency and fairness in the electoral process. The party believes that voters have a right to know who they are voting for and that parties should not be allowed to use loopholes in the law to conceal their candidates.
The case will likely have significant implications for the upcoming local government elections in South Africa. The DA's challenge to the single-candidate PR lists could lead to changes in the way parties contest elections and could potentially impact the outcome of the polls.
Key points
- The DA is taking parties to court over their decision to only submit one candidate on PR lists, claiming it is an attempt to conceal candidates from voters.
- The party argues that this move is in bad faith and exposes the autocratic nature of the parties involved.
- The case could have significant implications for the upcoming local government elections in South Africa.
