Rustenburg – The Congress of the People (Cope) in North West will not contest by-elections in Tlokwe (Potchefstroom) later this month, the party said on Tuesday.
“We will instead support and assist independent candidates with campaigning and giving our votes to them in ensuring that they emerge victorious on that day,” said provincial spokesman Kenneth Maduna.
He said Cope members would support independent candidates to ensure that they won at least four wards out of seven.
“Tlokwe 2013 by-elections has taught us an invaluable lesson, not to contest wards where other opposition parties contest, specifically on by-elections only, we won’t risk splitting votes, but rather we will channel them to one basket, which is the basket of independent candidates, wherever they contest.”
He said Cope would be focusing on the upcoming 2016 local government elections.
“We stand confident that we will do well and capture some of the municipalities in and around North West province,” he said.
Municipal by-elections would be held in Tlokwe on February 24, following a Constitutional Court ruling nullifying the outcome of 2013 by-election.
The results of the 2013 by-elections in the seven wards in Tlokwe were set aside following a lengthy legal process through the Election Court and ultimately the Constitutional Court.
The court found that irregularities in the voter’s roll for the by-elections – which included voters from adjoining wards who had incorrectly registered to vote in the by-elections – and the fact that the electoral commission had not been made available to contestants a voter’s roll with addresses.
African News Agency
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