24 February 2006
The Constitutional Court today set aside the decision of the Electoral Court
and held that the African Christian Democratic Party (ADCP) is entitled to
contest the election in the City of Cape Town Metro.
The Court instructed the Electoral Commission (IEC) to take all reasonable
steps to give effect to this order.
The Chief Electoral Officer, Adv Pansy Tlakula said the IEC has already set
in motion preparations to include the ACDP on the ballot papers for the Cape
Metro. These preparations include the following:
* Re-designing of 106 different ballot papers and arranging parties
alphabetically. In some wards the ballot paper has up to 18 candidates and the
PR ballot paper has 21 parties
* Printing and verifying of 3 050 200 ballot papers
* Binding of ballot papers in books of 100 ballots each
* Packing of wrapped ballot books in boxes and labelling the boxes
* Distribution to the office of the Municipal Electoral Officer (MEO)
* Distribution of individual ballot paper parcels to the 758 presiding officers
concerned.
âThe IEC is doing everything in its power to ensure that this process is
completed in time for the elections. We, however, wish to state as we have in
our affidavit that although this order will not render the holding of elections
impossible, it will create significant difficulties for the Commission and will
place the elections at risk,â said Adv Tlakula.
For queries please contact:
Lydia Young
Media Liaison
Cell: 082 650 8652
Issued by: Independent Electoral commission
24 February 2006
