UDM pursues secret ballot

THE UDM has stuck to its guns in the Constitutional Court that a secret ballot was needed to remove President Jacob Zuma from office following his controversial reshuffling of the cabinet.

UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said in his final heads of argument, filed in the Constitutional Court yesterday, that Zuma’s decision to axe finance minister Pravin Gordhan had led to a financial crisis in South Africa.

He said that Zuma’s decision had also led to deep divisions in the ANC, with ANC MPs facing threats of being expelled from the party if they voted against Zuma in an open ballot.

He said it was for the court to decide on the secret ballot and not Parliament.

“The UDM’s primary contention is that the constitution requires a secret ballot for no-confidence motions.

“Whether this is so is an issue only the courts can determine, not the National Assembly or its rules committee,” said Holomisa.

He said in general elections across the world, a secret ballot was used to prevent electoral fraud and intimidation.

“But the need for a secret ballot is not only present when it is members of the public who are voting.

Rather, it is present also when members of a legislative assembly vote on certain issues in circumstances where a similar risk of electoral fraud or voter intimidation arises,” said Holomisa.

Speaker Baleka Mbete yesterday filed heads of argument to the Constitutional Court in the case on voting on a motion of no confidence by secret ballot, in which she insists that the rules of Parliament do not make provision for it.

Mbete contended that she did not have powers to authorise the use of a secret ballot in Parliament.