The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has submitted a written response to the Constitutional Court regarding Commissioner Janet Love's comments.
The Supreme Court had directed interested parties to submit submissions regarding Mr Love's statements by 5pm yesterday.
Key questions posed to the parties included: Should Mr Love have refrained from expressing an opinion on Mr Zuma's suitability and should he have refrained from participating in the IEC's decision on the former president's suitability? , and how her involvement would influence decisions on Mr Zuma's eligibility. Qualifications.
Love said at a press conference: “This excludes those sentenced who were not eligible for any reprieve, and in that sense it is the law of this country, not ourselves, that stands in the way. .”candidate. “
The IEC answered “no” to all but one of the questions posed.
The commission clarified that Mr Love's statement in January was not specific to Mr Zuma's qualifications, but applied to any candidate.
The paper claimed that Mr Love had suggested that he had not prejudged Mr Zuma's suitability for public office, merely outlining the objective application of the law to his qualifications.
The IEC further argued that Mr Love made the remarks before the Umkhonto Wisizwe Party (MK Party) submitted its list of candidates, making it unreasonable to expect any objections to Mr Zuma's eligibility.
On Friday, the Constitutional Court heard submissions on the IEC's appeal against the Electoral Court order invalidating the IEC's March decision to disqualify Mr Zuma under Article 47(1)(E) of the Constitution.
The Constitutional Court's responsibility will be to provide a final interpretation of the article and determine Zuma's eligibility before elections begin in May.
