UP STUDENT PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS: AFRIFORUM YOUTH DEMANDS ELECTION RESULTS, REVIEW OF UP'S DECISION TO HOLD RE-ELECTION

AfriForum Youth today lodged an urgent appeal at the University of Pretoria (UP) for disclosure of the results of the last student parliament elections after the university announced earlier that re-elections would be held.

AfriForum Youth bases its application on the Access to Information Act, Charl Oberholzer, National Chairperson of AfriForum Youth, said. The youth group will also file a semi-urgent court application in the Supreme Court to have the university's re-election decision reversed. After consultations with its legal team, the organisation decided to give UP an opportunity to respond to the application to publish the election results.

"UP has been requested to place any re-election arrangements on hold to avoid further urgent legal steps," said Oberholzer.

AfriForum Youth was charged with distributing a pamphlet indicating which students that were in the constituency for faculty candidates, were members of AfriForum. During the hearing on the pamphlet concerned, UP representatives testifying against AfriForum Youth admitted that there was no written rule prohibiting the subject matter of the pamphlet. No verdict was therefore passed on the grounds of the pamphlet's contents. After the hearing, UP announced its intention to publish the results, but Sasco threatened UP about the matter.

"The suspicion that AfriForum Youth's support had almost doubled in the past elections against the decline in Sasco's support is a core aspect of the court application against UP. AfriForum Youth regards the case against UP as a gesture of protest against UP's unconstitutional attempts at censorship in the elections. It is also a gesture of protest against the way in which UP has given in to the political pressure of the ANC-affiliated students' organisation Sasco," said Oberholzer.

UP has indicated that possible re-elections might only take place in March next year. Oberholzer maintains that this will prevent elected students from fulfilling their promises to the student community for at least three months.

The court documents for the review of the UP decision to hold re-elections will be served this week.

Statement issued by Charl Oberholzer, National Chairperson, AfriForum Youth, November 1 2011

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