In South Africa, constitutional court to hear electoral commission application to postpone local government elections

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) says it will present its legal arguments on Friday August 20 in a virtual sitting of the Constitutional Court to call for the postponement of the fifth local government elections. [... The] IEC’s deputy chief electoral officer in charge of electoral operations Masego Sheburi said elections held in October are not reasonably likely to be held in a free and fair manner. “Elections held in October will not be constitutionally compliant because of the limitations placed on political parties and contestants by the necessary country response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the IEC did not run its general voter registration drive,” said Sheburi. [...] The ANC and IFP have joined the IEC’s bid to have the elections postponed. The DA is opposing the electoral commission’s ConCourt application.
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