Election watchdog rejects excuses

CITIZENS' ACTION for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE) says the reasons given for the postponement of local government elections are not valid and condemned the recurring failure of governments to ensure these elections are held on their due date.

Local government elections, which were due last year, were postponed until March 31, 2011. However, the Government recently announced a further delay, noting that it needed more time to reform local government, among other factors.

"To deprive citizens of the right to exercise their franchise requires good and cogent reasons," CAFFE said in a release.

According to CAFFE, the last local government elections were held on December 8, 2007. "Since that election, local government elections have been postponed three times. The result is that the electorate has been deprived of the democratic right to decide whether the councillors whose normal term of office has expired should continue to represent them." CAFFE said.

The election watchdog said the local government elections are to be held every third year between March and June. CAFFE said local government elections should be held in accordance with the established legal timetable, adding that this should not be subject to recurring alteration without consultation with the public.

To deprive citizens of the right to exercise their franchise requires good and cogent reasons.