A total of 28 political parties will provisionally contest the seats in the Western Cape provincial legislature during the May 29 elections.
The parties that will be contesting the seats are DA, ANC, EFF, Patriotic Alliance, ACDP, GOOD Party, Al Jama-ah, UDM, Freedom Front Plus, ActionSA, PAC, Cope, IFP, Build One South Africa, African Independent Congress, Land Party, and African Transformation Movement.
Among the newly formed parties are uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, Rise Mzansi, Alliance of Citizens for Change, Azanian Peaceful Revolution, Operation Dudula, People’s Movement for Change, Referendum Party, Sizwe Ummah Nation, and Arise South Africa.
There are 33 political parties and one independent candidate, Zackie Achmat, who will contest the regional seats reserved for the Western Cape in the National Assembly.
A further 56 parties will be contesting the National Assembly compensatory seats.
This list of parties was revealed after the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) released on Monday for inspection the lists of candidates for political parties and independents.
Members of the public have until Wednesday at 5pm to lodge an objection against the nomination of candidates.
The IEC said an objection may be raised on the basis that an independent candidate or nominating party has failed to submit the signed prescribed acceptance of nomination or that there was no signed prescribed undertaking that the candidate was bound by the electoral code of conduct.
It said sections 47 and 106 of the Constitution provide that every citizen who is qualified to vote for the National Assembly is eligible to be a member of the Assembly.
However those disqualified are:
* anyone who is appointed by, or is in the service of the state and receives remuneration for that appointment or service
* permanent delegates to the National Council of Provinces or members of a provincial legislature or a municipal council
* unrehabilitated insolvents
* anyone declared to be of unsound mind by a court
* anyone who, after this section took effect, was convicted of an offence and sentenced to more than 12 months imprisonment without the option of a fine. No one may be regarded as having been sentenced until an appeal against the conviction or sentence has been determined or until the time for an appeal has expired.
A disqualification under this paragraph ends five years after the sentence has been completed.
The IEC said it will decide on the objections by March 28 and objectors, registered party or nominated candidate could appeal against its decision to the Electoral Court by April 2.
The final list of candidates contesting the elections will be published by the commission on April 10.
The IEC’s Western Cape electoral officer Michael Hendrickse said the candidate nomination process as set out in the electoral legislation was ongoing and the intention was for the final list of contestants to be published on April 10.
“We would, once again, call on all contesting parties and independents to abide by the Electoral Code of Conduct. This will ensure parties and independents can campaign freely and in the absence of no-go areas, and without disruption of public meetings. We ask everyone to conduct themselves with mutual respect and in an environment of tolerance,” Hendrickse said.
Cape Times