The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party on Friday called for the immediate resignation of Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) commissioner Janet Love, warning that should she fail to resign in the next 7 days, the party will pursue “all available avenues”  to remove her, including approach the courts.

The party accused Love of being “highly vested” in the outcomes of the May 29 elections, saying she cannot be trusted.

The MK Party said the Electoral Court’s judgment, which saw former President Jacob Zuma win his appeal against the IEC’s decision to exclude him from being able to stand as an MK Party parliamentary candidate, underscored a defeat against President Cyril Ramaphosa’s African National Congress and “all its treacherous allies”.

The party said it also showed Love’s “prejudicial conduct” as commissioner.

The IEC has since approached the Constitutional Court to appeal the Electoral Court’s judgment.

The MK Party justified its call for Love’s removal by noting her “obnoxious behaviour” in January, before an objection was lodged regarding the eligibility of Zuma to participate in the Parliamentary elections.

“Janet Love, in an unprecedented move publicly declared nationally that President Zuma would not be eligible and couldn’t be included in the MK Party’s Parliamentary candidate list,” the party noted.

The party said that this pronouncement was not only premature and unwarranted, but that it was also in direct violation of the rules which stipulated that such declarations could only be made following an official objection.

The MK Party pointed out that at the time of Love’s statement, no objection had been filed, which the party said made her actions irregular and prejudicial.

“What made things worse is that, even after the obviously orchestrated objection which was launched by a member of the ANC, she still presided within the committee responsible for deciding on President Zuma's eligibility, instead of recusing herself. Despite the clear conflict of interest,” the party explained.

The MK Party added that this “rogue of arrogance”, has clearly undermined the credibility of the IEC and its capacity to administer free and fair elections, which the party said could not afford to harbour any sense of bias and should be beyond reproach.