The 2009 general elections have been the worst yet with regard to dirty tricks perpetrated from the incumbent party, said the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) on Saturday.

"This sets the tone for future elections and the ACDP have fears about the quality of the democracy that will be presented in the future," said party MPL Jo-Ann Downs in a statement.

Downs said posters were being torn down and venues cancelled, in some instances allegedly by members of the African National Congress (ANC).

She said the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) seemed powerless to intervene and the police were allegedly unwilling to co-operate.

Downs said: "It would appear that the ANC's estimate of R200-million election expenditure does not include the excessive amounts of public money that has been spent on the side by government departments."

She added that the government departments allegedly used tax payers' money to promote the ANC through adverts and unethical re-deployment of civil servants.

"One wonders how much has also been spent under the table in a manner that has been reported by overseas media but not addressed in much of the local media," Downs said.

She also referred to the use of a publication called "Capital Coalition" distributed in the Pietermaritzburg media to allegedly defame the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) on Friday "as an abhorrent example of baseless mudslinging at the cusp of the election".

She said this was done with the IFP not given a window of opportunity to respond.

"A clash with the media ombudsman would clearly result, hence the need for a special publication, protected by a disclaimer and probably funded by public money."

"The incumbent party has consistently been weak and unable to present facts at political debates and as a result have resorted to throwing money at the electorate through inaccurate propaganda and at large political rallies," Downs said.

She also criticised the ANC for its inclusion of "untoward articles that disparage political parties that have a Christian accountability".

Downs said: "These are produced by clearly partisan clerics, who are usually ANC political office bearers. The redirection of scripture in these articles is woeful and terrible."

She also called on the IEC to consider regulated campaign spending limits to prevent further abuses of public money pointing out that each election poster cost enough to feed a hungry child for a day.