Nairobi, March 29 -- Barely an hour after the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa announced on Thursday that former president Jacob Zuma would not be on the ballot on election day, his party said it is challenging the decision.

On Thursday evening, the IEC upheld an objection against Mr Zuma's candidature in the upcoming elections due on May 29. He has a criminal record with a sentence exceeding 15 months.

Read: South Africa bars Jacob Zuma from election contest

This means that Mr Zuma, among eight candidates who had been objected to by the IEC, is barred from contesting a seat in Parliament.

The Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, however, announced that Mr Zuma was the number one candidate for the National Assembly, notw...