/ 25 January 2009

ANC finalises party list

The African National Congress has finalised the list of candidates to hold key government positions should it win this year’s elections, it said in a statement on Sunday.

The party could however not reveal the names of candidates who made the final cut as they still have to be scrutinised by the ANC’s national executive committee.

”Subject to processing by the national list committee, in line with ANC list guidelines, the list is to be referred to the organisation’s NEC and later the Independent Electoral Commission to ensure compliance,” said spokesperson Carl Niehaus.

He said the list was finalised during the party’s national list conference held in Esselen Park, Ekurhuleni, on Saturday.

Should the NEC and the IEC approve the suggested names, those candidates will represent the ANC in Parliament and the nine provincial legislatures.

”In choosing candidates to ensure gender balance, the ANC can be proud to have achieved a minimum of 50% women representation in the National Assembly and in the nine legislatures.

”We also appreciate a serious effort in ensuring representation of people with disabilities in Parliament and in provincial legislatures, with experience having been retained to a great extent,” Niehaus said. – Sapa