Posted on 27-4-2004

Poll Neither Free Nor Fair
SAPA, 19 April 2004

The Inkatha Freedom Party will contest the results of the election after
the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) failed to investigate 42
complaints of violence and intimidation lodged by the party, and declared
the poll free and fair. The party claims that irregularities occurred in
both national and provincial elections, but mainly in its stronghold of
KwaZulu-Natal.

IFP spokesperson Musa Zondi told the Mail & Guardian Online on Monday
morning that the IEC had ignored all its complaints and objections about
the poll and had then gone ahead and announced the final results. He said
the IEC seemed "totally oblivious" of what had gone on in KwaZulu-Natal
and that there had been a number of irregularities that had been ignored.

IFP spokesperson John Aulsebrook on Monday afternoon raised concerns that
the IEC had declared the election free and fair without advising all
political parties of its intention. "The Inkatha Freedom Party is
accordingly unable to endorse the declaration of the election to have been
free and fair and has tasked a legal team to investigate the institution
of an appeal to the Electoral Court." He said he was unsure whether the
appeal would be lodged on Monday. "It is up to the legal team to decide
when and where." Aulsebrook said the party was concerned that 367 731
votes were cast in KwaZulu-Natal outside registered voter districts. "The
IFP expresses extreme concern that 367 731 voters cast their ballots in
voter districts in KwaZulu-Natal where such voters were not registered on
the voters roll for the particular districts." He said it was alarming
that the verification procedures, in place to confirm voters' correct
registered voting districts, was insufficient.

The IFP also accused the ANC of transporting its supporters from one
voting district to another. He added that the party was concerned by
allegations that members of the SA National Defence Force had intimidated
and assaulted residents of the Msinga area. "Some of these incidents
allegedly prevented persons from exercising their constitutional right to
vote and have accordingly impacted on the freeness and fairness of the
election." Aulsebrook said a full dossier containing the details of these
incidents were submitted to Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota for
investigation.

The party took the decision to approach the Electoral Court at a 10-hour
emergency meeting of its National and Provincial Councils in Durban on
Sunday. Speculation is that the IFP may agree to another coalition in the
province with the ANC, but the party says it will not participate in the
national or provincial government while the court case is in progress.

Zondi said the IFP leadership had appointed a task-team, headed by him,
that would explore all options and then advise the leadership as soon as
possible.

Lydia Young, the media facilitator for the IEC, told the Mail & Guardian
Online on Monday that they had not been served with papers by the IFP.
“It’s just something that’s out in the media,” she said, adding that the
IEC will not respond until it has been served papers by the Electoral
Court.