ESTABLISHMENT OF AD HOC COMMMITTEE ON PUBLIC PROTECTOR'S IEC REPORT

5 September 2013

The Office of the ANC Chief Whip welcomes parliament's establishment of an Ad Committee to consider the report of the Public Protector on the procurement of office accommodation for the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

The committee will, in line with the standard practice, be made up of members of parliament proportionally selected from political parties represented in parliament. The ANC will submit seven names of its representatives to this committee next week. The committee will consider the Public Protector's report submitted to Parliament last week and recommend appropriate course of action to the National Assembly for its consideration.

As parties begin to ponder on who to delegate to this committee, we would urge them to ensure that those MPs who have already publicly pronounced their judgment on the guilt or otherwise of the chairwoman of the IEC be not considered for this committee. This will ensure that the process is dignified, just and fair. While this might not be an institutional selection criterion, inclusion of individuals with known prejudiced opinions, whose minds have already been made on the matter whose facts parliament is yet to entertain to take an informed decision, might cast aspersions on the integrity of the entire process and its outcome.

We are hopeful that parties will not put the narrow interest of their political parties ahead of those of Parlliament, the IEC and the entire nation - as this could jeopardise the credibility and confidence in the crucial work that the institution is undertaking.

Statement issued by the Office of the ANC Chief Whip, September 5 2013

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