Chairperson, the Bill before us deals with the very sensitive matter of electoral law. We must always remain vigilant when it comes to amendments to electoral law as it deals with an intrinsic democratic right. For most South Africans, the right to vote is the most tangible expression of the freedom we attained in 1994. Unfortunately, whenever amendments are made, there is the real danger that the authors of such legislation purposefully or unwittingly introduce measures that will compromise the electoral process.
With that in mind, the UDM would like to raise the following issues as potential areas of concern.
Clause 4 of the Bill introduces section 17(a) with the aim of allowing for the central payment of deposits by a party that is participating in the election in more than one municipality. On the surface such an arrangement would simplify administration for political parties who choose to deal with the matter in that way. However, what it does do is to transfer an additional administrative burden onto the electoral authorities. It is likely to result in some very complicated book-keeping and potential disputes regarding whether payments were made and correctly made.
The concern with clause 6, which provides for two or more agents per voting station if the commission allows voting to take place in more than one room at that voting station, is that it legitimises an unhealthy situation. There is no guarantee that there will be sufficient voting agents where voting is allowed in more than one room. Allowing voting in such a manner is a risk to the integrity of the voting process.
Our biggest concern lies with the amendment in clause 8 that relates to special votes. Whilst we do not disagree with the need to provide mechanisms for citizens to exercise their right to vote in circumstances that prevent them from voting on election day, we have, however, on numerous occasions received reports from our party agents that cast strong suspicions on the manner in which special votes are exercised in practice. For political parties and their agents, these special votes are very difficult to monitor in any reliable way. Such uncertainty casts a shadow over the integrity of the results.
Notwithstanding these concerns, the UDM supports the Bill and calls upon the Independent Electoral Commission to implement these changes with impartiality and fairness. Thank you. [Applause.]