The official candidate list has been released for public scrutiny and the people now know who they can and will vote into power come May 7. A total of 29 political parties will contest South Africa’s 5th democratic elections, the highest number in the history of our young democracy. Below is a list of all the political parties that will be on the ballot paper:
- African Christian Democratic Alliance
- African Independent Congress
- African National Congress
- African People’s Convention
- Agang SA
- Al Jah-Ah
- Azanian People’s Organisation
- Bushbuckridge Residents Association
- Congress of the People
- Democratic Alliance
- Economic Freedom Fighters
- First National Liberation Alliance
- Front National
- Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa
- Inkatha Freedom Party
- Keep It Straight and Simple
- Kingdom Governance Movement
- Minority Front
- National Freedom Party
- Pan Africanist Congress of Azania
- Pan Africanist Movement
- Patriotic Alliance
- People’s Alliance
- Ubuntu Party
- United Christian Democratic Party
- United Congress
- United Democratic Movement
- Vryheidsfront Plus
- Workers and Socialist Party
NB: Thank goodness United Christian Democratic Party made the cut off date what would we be without them? Not to mention our Afrikaans liberals Vryheidsfront a democracy wouldn’t be complete without them.
The full list of parties and candidates is available on the IEC website www.elections.org.za and the procedure to objecting to a candidate.
Here are some important dates to diarise in the run-up to the big day
- 1 April: Cut-off date for objections to a candidate;
- 7 April: Cut-off date for the decision of objections to a candidate;
- 7 – 17 April: Application for special votes to Municipal Electoral Officer open;
- 10 April: Cut-off date for appeals against a decision of the Commission;
- 15 April: Cut-off date for deciding appeals and notifying parties;
- 22 April: Chief Electoral Officer to give effect to decisions of the Commission on objections or appeals to the electoral Court; Chief Electoral Officer to compile a list of parties entitled to contest elections;
- 24 April: Certificates issued to candidates on a final list of candidates;
- 30 April: Application and casting of special votes outside the Republic; 5-6 May: Visitation for purposes of casting a special vote; casting of special vote at the office of the presiding officer
- 7 May: Day of National Elections
Twitter: @Thapelo_Mosiuoa
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