NATIONAL
The African National Congress’ (ANC) Acting Secretary-General Jessie Duarte says the party is preparing for elections should the polls go ahead on the 27th of October.
This after the Electoral Commission confirmed that it is applying to the Constitutional Court for a postponement of the elections.
The IEC wants the polls to be changed from October to February next year. There are mixed views in the political sector over whether it would be safe to hold elections this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Duarte was speaking during a virtual media briefing on Thursday morning.
“We are planning right now as if the elections are on the 27th October. It is very tight. Our major concern is that the election must be free and fair and that political parties must have the ability to properly explain their manifestos to the electorate and present their candidates in a well-organized manner,” says Duarte.
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Duarte says the party will join the IEC in its Constitutional court bid to have the Local Government Elections postponed to February 2022. Duarte says the ANC is an interested party in the action based on its belief that political parties must have adequate time to campaign and properly select their councillor candidates.
“80% of our branches have elected their candidates but have not concluded their community meetings where the candidates are presented and where the communities can participate in the selection in the election of an ANC person who can represent them as a candidate in the Local Government Election. We will also be joining in the Counstitutional Court request for the elections to be postponed to Feburary,” says Duarte.
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Source: SABC
