Cope weighs options on two electoral seats

Cope Leader Mosoua Lekota. Picture: Bongani Shilubane/African News Agency (ANA)

Cope Leader Mosoua Lekota. Picture: Bongani Shilubane/African News Agency (ANA)

Published May 12, 2019

Share

Johannesburg - Cope says it has yet to decide on whether to accept or reject the two seats the party secured for the National Assembly in the general elections.

Cope was among 27 disgruntled smaller political parties that rejected the elections process and threatened the Electoral Commission of South Africa with legal action over alleged vote cheating and double voting.

The parties - demanding a rerun or the appointment of an independent firm to audit the results - included the African People’s Convention, Land Party, African Content Movement (ACM) and PAC.

Cope spokesperson Dennis Bloem said while the party - led by Mosiuoa Lekota - secured two seats, it had not accepted them yet as it rejected the elections’ outcome.

“Yes we’ve been allocated two seats, but we still believe the elections were not free and fair,” Bloem said.

Local and international observer missions declared the elections free and fair, the latest local one being the South African Council of Churches.

The African Transformation Movement also abandoned the smaller parties after it secured two seats in the National Assembly. The ACM’s Romeo Ramuada, speaking on behalf of the smaller parties, said the parties were consulting lawyers, as they believed their dismal performance was due to rigging. 

Political Bureau

Related Topics:

#Elections2019