Small and relatively unknown party the African Independent Congress (AIC) threatened to take the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to court after the electoral body removed the party from its usual place next to the ANC on the ballot.
Following the 2014 national elections, the ANC complained that the only reason the AIC had won three seats in parliament was because of the similarity in the party’s name and colours.
“It is possible that some voters may have unintentionally voted for the AIC, thinking they were voting for the ANC … An ANC official said a mistake was the only explanation for the AIC’s sudden success,” Beeld reported at the time.
Following this, the IEC identified the AIC as well as another party with a similar name and colours to the ruling party – the African People’s Convention (APC) – as being too similar to the ANC.
This led to a draw following the signing by parties of the IEC Code of Conduct last week to determine where the three parties would sit on the ballot, following the electoral commission’s decision to separate them.
Or, as the IEC puts it: “AIC, APC, and ANC have been separated on [the] national ballot for [the election], following a draw at the National Code of Conduct Signing Ceremony on 20 March. AIC retained its position on [the] ballot, ANC was moved to the middle of the A alphabetical cluster, and APC to bottom of [the] cluster.”
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This was as a result of the AIC getting the highest number on the draw, which allowed them to keep their place on the ballot while the ANC and APC were moved. The AIC, however, got angry after what appeared to be the 2019 ballot paper was circulated on social media, and showed them at the bottom.
Party leader Mandla Galo told The Citizen: “We saw a specimen of the ballot paper with the ANC occupying position number four and the AIC placed way down at number two from the bottom,”
“We wrote a letter to the IEC seeking clarity as it was not per the agreement,” he added.
“Why would the ANC be above the AIC and why were we put down there at the bottom? After a discussion, we decided that if the IEC don’t clarify this we have no choice but to take the matter to court.”
However, Galo said IEC chairperson Glen Mashinini had since spoken to the party and indicated that the ballot paper doing rounds on social media was fake.
Galo said if this was true there would be no legal action, but he was still waiting for proof.
“We will be satisfied after we have seen the official ballot paper whereby the AIC is retaining its position. We are still awaiting that,” he said.
AIC, APC & ANC have been separated on national ballot for #SAElections2019, following a draw at the National Code of Conduct Signing Ceremony on 20 March. AIC retained its position on ballot, ANC was moved to the middle of the A alphabetical cluster, & APC to bottom of cluster.
— IEC South Africa (@IECSouthAfrica) March 26, 2019
