'ANC trying to block registration'

2008-12-15 13:24

Bloemfontein - The Congress of the People claimed on Monday that the ANC was seeking to block the next round of voter registration to keep the new party's supporters from the polls.

In a document circulated at its inaugural conference in Bloemfontein on Monday, Cope said that if President Kgalema Motlanthe were to announce the date for the 2009 elections before the second round of registration has taken place, it would be scrapped.

"The ANC is aware of this. South Africans would end up being inadvertently disenfranchised on the altar of political expediency.

"All of this is being done so that the ANC does not face real and stiff competition at the polls, it said.

Cope, which will kick off its election campaign in Bloemfontein on Tuesday, said the possibility of going into an election as early as March 25 next year would be one of its biggest challenges.

'Minimal resources'

The fledgling party, born a few weeks ago in protest at the political demise of former president Thabo Mbeki, said it was also worried about having "minimal resources at our disposal given the short time and notice we will get to mobilise all our supporters".

Commentators have predicted that the new movement could hope to poll around 10%.

Since the party's conference began here on Sunday, it has sought to portray itself as a tolerant, progressive movement open to all races and creeds.

"We are not an organisation of communists, but we have nothing against communists. We are not all Muslim, but we have nothing against Muslims," interim leader Mosiuoa Terror Lekota said on Tuesday.

The organisational report noted however that there had been "disturbing reports of gate-keeping by some amongst use who are not keen to allow others into Cope".

"This demon should be destroyed now because Cope is and always should be a home for all our people."

- SAPA