MEDIA STATEMENT
BY THE
INKATHA FREEDOM PARTY
IFP Threatens Court Action on Election Results
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The Inkatha Freedom Party has challenged the results of yesterday's by-elections in Newcastle, alleging that there was fraud in the process. The IFP Provincial Deputy Chairperson who is also the IFP's deployed leader in Amajuba District, Mr. Blessed Gwala said the IFP will consider approaching the Electoral Court should the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) refuse to nullify yesterday's results. "Yesterday's elections were tantamount to daylight robbery which we cannot accept. For instance, the Ballot Papers used during voting were not original. Instead the IEC used duplicate forms which had no serial numbers. In addition, the IEC unilaterally encircled the house of the IFP candidate such that it fell within the IEC territory. This they did without any consultations with the family, and, when the family protested, the IEC simply ignored them. The negative effect of this act was that this family house could not be used as support base despite the fact that the head of the family was the IFP candidate. In fact the family was displaced because their house was now part of the IEC area," said Mr Gwala. "Against the background of the foregoing, we have no option but to call on the IEC to nullify the elections in Newcastle so that elections will start afresh. In fact we have already begun to engage the IEC on this matter. If they refuse, we will have no option but to approach the Electoral Court," continued Mr. Gwala. For Further Information: |