My Vote Counts (MVC) is an organisation campaigning to improve the accountability, transparency and inclusiveness of elections and politics in South Africa, so that all of its citizens will have a stronger voice.
MVC is advocating for two key changes for accountability and openness:
* For the South African electoral system to be changed so that people have a say in electing individual MPs from their constituencies;
* For complete transparency and reform of the funding of all political parties, making it mandatory for all parties disclose where their money is coming from, and to limit influence peddling.
MVC is heading to the Constitutional Court next month, to challenge what it views as a deficiency in the electoral system. MVC says that voters need to know about the private funding of all parties to make better informed choices, and will ask the court to direct Parliament to urgently pass legislation that will ensure this disclosure.
Read the press statement in this regard below:
MY VOTE COUNTS PRESS STATEMENT: CONSTITUTIONAL COURT LITIGATION
My Vote Counts v The Speaker of Parliament & Others will be heard at the Constitutional Court, Johannesburg, on 10 February 2015.
The right to vote envisaged in the Constitution is the right to cast an informed vote. The right to make political choices is the right to make informed political choices.
MVC has asked the Constitutional Court to declare that Parliament has failed to fulfil its constitutional obligation to enact financial disclosure legislation to give effect to the right of access to information. This is based on the belief that information about the private funding of political parties is reasonably required for the effective exercise of the right to vote in elections. We have asked the Court to direct Parliament to fulfil this constitutional obligation by passing disclosure legislation, which Parliament must do within 18 months.
We refuse to be blind mice. We choose to be informed citizens. We say no to secrecy. Those that exercise public power must and will be held accountable. We demand protection from the state from all forms of corruption.
All litigation materials are available on our website www.myvotecounts.org.za.
Support us on Twitter (@MVC_SA) or find us on Facebook (My Vote Counts NGO).
To get involved or request more information, contact:
Gregory Solik (director, My Vote Counts) – greg@myvotecounts.org.za
Vlad Movshovich (legal counsel) – vlad.movshovich@webberwentzel.com
"The constitutional guarantee of the right of access to information held by the state gives effect to 'accountability, responsiveness and openness' as founding values of our constitutional democracy. It is impossible to hold accountable a government that operates in secrecy."
Extract from President of the Republic of South Africa and Others v M&G Media Ltd 2012.
