The Electoral Commission (IEC) has announced that former Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke is set to lead a process 'to review whether current conditions are conducive or not to hold free and fair elections'. According to an EWN report, IEC chairperson Glen Mashinini said Moseneke 'will review all relevant factors which have a bearing on free and fair elections in October'. Mashinini said the review would consider legal, social, health and other relevant factors.
He said, even though elections preparations were at an advanced stage, parties were divided over whether they could campaign freely and fairly under the current state of disaster. Mashinini said the review would be done in terms of Section 14(4) of the Electoral Commission Act. It is the first time this section has been invoked. A News24 report, however, quotes Mashinini as saying it is possible to conduct the 27 October polls under current circumstances. The Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions in place to prevent the spread of the virus had cast doubt on the IEC's ability to host the elections as political parties disagreed on the way forward. However, the IEC said to protect electoral democracy, the fifth local government elections would continue as planned.
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