The Democratic Alliance would oppose any Bill to disenfranchise South Africans abroad, DA home affairs spokesperson Sakkie Pretorius said on Wednesday.
He said the African National Congress would on Thursday table an amendment to the electoral laws that would disenfranchise South Africans abroad.
”The DA will make every effort to convince the ANC members of the parliamentary home affairs portfolio committee to see that there is absolutely no logical reason why anyone who is temporarily out of the country at the time of next year’s election should be prevented from voting,” Pretorius said.
If the ANC refused, the DA would certainly oppose the Bill.
”The ANC government claims it wants to woo South African professionals and those with scarce skills back to the country to contribute to the economy, yet it is trying to prevent those same people from having a political stake in this country.”
On Tuesday political parties expressed their dismay at the ANC’s decision to table the last-minute legislative amendment that would effectively prevent citizens abroad from voting in the 2004 general election.
The Freedom Front said the ANC’s action was a ”shocking about-face” and violation of an agreement, while the African Christian Democratic Party said it might result in the Electoral Laws Amendment Bill being unconstitutional.
Both parties threatened legal action in this regard. — Sapa
Fury over U-turn on overseas vote