National Assembly’s first sitting to go ahead as planned

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The first sitting of the National Assembly (NA) will go ahead as scheduled tomorrow. This comes after the Constitutional Court refused to grant the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) Party an interdict to stop the sitting.

On Wednesday, the apex court found that the party did not produce evidence to support its desired outcome of the case.

According to the Constitution, the first sitting of the NA must take place within 14 days after the declaration of the election result at a date and time for the Chief Justice to determine.

The Constitutional Court has found that the applicant failed to invoke its exclusive jurisdiction. It holds that it is not in the interests of justice to grant direct access as the results were announced between the first and second of June to the knowledge of the applicant.

However, despite this knowledge, the party only launched the application on the 10th of the same month. Therefore, the court finds that the urgency is self-created.

The court adds that the party has also misconstrued Section 46 of the Constitution, which prescribes that the National Assembly consists of no fewer than 350 and no more than 400 members.

VIDEO: MK Party loses bid to halt National Assembly first sitting: