IEC says it will be ready to run election from April
28 January 2009

In the clearest indication yet that this year’s election will be in late April or early May, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has said it will be ready to run the election from the middle of April. Speculation about the date of the election has intensified as political parties launch their manifestos and begin campaigning in earnest. One of the key issues has been whether early or late polls would best help the ruling African National Congress (ANC) blunt the challenge of the breakaway Congress of the People.

IEC chairwoman Brigalia Bam told Parliament’s home affairs committee that the election could not be earlier than April 15 — “we must be ready by April 15 by law”. Her statement rules out considerable speculation that the country would go to the polls as early as late March.  In response to a question from ANC MP Kgoloko Morwamoche, Bam reminded the committee that the election date was decided by the president in consultation with the IEC.

She said the IEC had been following a strict timetable in preparing for the election and had at all times kept all parties informed. The commission has its final registration drive on the first weekend of February.  Bam also assured the committee that, with the contested elections and resultant violence in Kenya and Zimbabwe in mind, the counting procedures for the elections had been improved.

She said this election would be as exciting and challenging as the 1994 election because of the changes in the political environment. Many observers would come to SA and the integrity of the election had to be complete, she said.  Deputy chief electoral officer Mosotho Moepya said as at November last year there were 19713 voting districts and 21,6-million registered voters, substantially up from the 16966 voting districts and 20,6-million registered voters in the 2004 election.

He said voter registration would continue at IEC offices until the elections were proclaimed.

Wyndham Hartley, www.businessday.co.za