SA voters abroad get go-ahead

[JungleBoy]

Motlanthe to announce poll date
10/02/2009 14:03 - (SA)
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# Move to delay vote date notice
# IEC 'chasing 22 million voters'
# Vote, say Zuma and Buthelezi

Cape Town - President Kgalema Motlanthe is expected on Tuesday to announce the date of a general election, a local radio station reported.

Talk Radio 702 said he was expected to make the announcement in parliament shortly.

The ANC is widely expected to win the election but it faces an unprecedented challenge from Cope.

Cope could gain enough black votes to deny the ANC a parliamentary majority.

ANC leader Jacob Zuma, who enjoys the support of trade unions and the Communist Party, is expected to become president despite revived graft charges, creating political uncertainty in Africa's biggest economy.

(Writing by Michael Georgy; editing by Myra MacDonald)

- Reuters

What about the unregistered overseas voters? Surely this should spell the beginning of the end for their hopes of voting !!!

 

[Cage Rattler]

22 April 2009

 

[icyrus]

What about the unregistered overseas voters? Surely this should spell the beginning of the end for their hopes of voting !!!

Hardly a surprise that.

 

[CyraxHB]

so if we can waste money on arms deals, politicians' holidays, renaming streets, towns, airports, why not waste it further on setting up a polling station in the Bahamas for that one business man who is on a very important "work" assignment.
You see where I'm going with this? Should we justify wasting money in the future just because it has been done before?

Even if not one expat votes, the facility to vote abroad still needs to be provided.

 

[Abe]

What about the unregistered overseas voters? Surely this should spell the beginning of the end for their hopes of voting !!!

Any announced date could easily be changed with a Cons Court application. Announcing a date makes no difference to the challenge. The ANC will be hell bent on denying this bid, not because of costs, but because it changes their majority (if they still have one after COPE). At the end of the day, every person is entitled to their vote. A postal ballot system is not that expensive so costs should not come into it.

Just to give a potential situation arising from this. ANC have about 67% of the vote at the moment. IMO, it's quite conceivable that COPE could take about 15% of that vote, leaving the ANC with 52%. 500000 odd voters in other countries voting against the ANC would then wipe out their overall majority.

 

[JungleBoy]

Any announced date could easily be changed with a Cons Court application. Announcing a date makes no difference to the challenge. The ANC will be hell bent on denying this bid, not because of costs, but because it changes their majority (if they still have one after COPE). At the end of the day, every person is entitled to their vote. A postal ballot system is not that expensive so costs should not come into it.

Just to give a potential situation arising from this. ANC have about 67% of the vote at the moment. IMO, it's quite conceivable that COPE could take about 15% of that vote, leaving the ANC with 52%. 500000 odd voters in other countries voting against the ANC would then wipe out their overall majority.

If it can be done by post then, I foresee no financial hassles. The only hassle is that the election becomes easy to rig. I mean, can we trust SAPOS to not open the mail ?

 

[Abe]

I mean, can we trust SAPOS to not open the mail ?

If there is no money in it then yes

 

[daveza]

The date has been announced, but the proclamation will be made later - I guess to allow it to change should the Con Court validate the latest decision.

The mistake the ANC made was to allow ' some ' people overseas to vote ' - which allowed the grounds for discrimination . It's all or nothing - so they could still say ' well we can't do it for everyone so nobody out of the country will be able to vote ' ?

 

[Abe]

It's all or nothing - so they could still say ' well we can't do it for everyone so nobody out of the country will be able to vote ' ?

That would not be the answer as that could also be challenged in court.