With the exception of the Democratic Alliance (DA), every political party in the Western Cape has joined forces to call for a recount of the most recent election results.
The parties have officially objected to the results, citing worries over suspected vote tampering, with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
The alliance of opposition parties conveyed their displeasure with the electoral process in a joint statement that was made public.
“We, the undersigned political parties, noting the provisions of Section 55 objections in terms of the said act and the 21:00 deadline on said day and given numerous inconsistencies raised at the PLC meeting this evening at the IEC Results Centre that have not been responded to, and while we reserve our rights herein as political parties to raise objections in terms of S(55), we jointly request condonation until 48 hours after the last ballot paper has been scanned and submitted for verification.”
Numerous political organizations, including the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the Congress of the People (COPE), and the African National Congress (ANC), signed the statement. The opposition demands a comprehensive probe and claims anomalies in the voting process.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), which won a majority in the Western Cape, has dismissed the accusations as unfounded and denied any misconduct. Nonetheless, the coalition of parties is putting more and more pressure on the IEC to address their concerns.
The outcome of the elections in the Western Cape is in jeopardy as hostilities rise. The demands for a recount have not yet received a response from the IEC, which has left the province’s political climate unclear.
