By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Electoral Court has dismissed ActionSA’s application to have the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC)’s decision to omit its name from the ward ballot paper declared unconstitutional and unlawful.
The court issued a directive on Friday and said the reasons for the dismissal would be issued at a later stage.
The court application was heard on Thursday.
ActionSA approached the court on an urgent basis earlier in October, to seek relief that the IEC had omitted its name from ballot papers for wards the party is contesting in the municipal elections.
The IEC said this was ActionSA’s fault because it did not register an abbreviation when initially registered as a political party.
The party disputed this, saying the reason it had no abbreviation was because its name was the length prescribed by the IEC.
ActionSA wanted its party name to be added to ballot papers by using printed stamps, it argued in court.
The IEC argued that, even if it had erred, it had no time to reprint ballot papers days before the municipal elections.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said on Friday he was disappointed by the ruling, but the party respected the rule of law.
Meanwhile IEC says they welcome the decision of the Electoral Court, as it paves the way for the orderly conduct of elections in the affected wards.
“The Commission reiterates that it did not exclude ActionSA from the ward ballots. Rather, ActionSA did not register an abbreviated name. Abbreviated names or acronyms are used instead of full names because the ward candidate full names are used.”