The Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) has delivered on successful local, provincial and national elections since 1994 and is hailed for its work across the continent and around the globe. However, a few months ahead of the 2019 election, this centrepiece of SA’s constitutional democracy is facing capacity, personnel and legal challenges, and will have to dig deep to ensure that once again it delivers a free, fair and credible election. There is no reason to think the IEC cannot achieve this, yet there are areas of concern just a year before the most hotly contested election in post-apartheid SA. The tension around the 2019 election will test the IEC and requires the commission to prepare to play an A-game. In Parliament last week, the IEC mentioned having applied to the Constitutional Court for an extension in complying with the court’s 2016 ruling on securing addresses to complete the national voters’ roll.It is worrying that this crucial fact was not fully explained or expanded on ...
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