The Democratic Alliance list of candidates for the 2004 election, to be contested on April 14, holds some surprises and a few predictable placements.
DA leader Tony Leon predictably heads the Gauteng national list, followed by sitting MPs Ian Davidson, Richard Ntuli, Janet Semple and Chief Whip Douglas Gibson.
In seventh place is also Raenette Taljaard (MP), followed by Dan Maluleke with Sheila Camerer (MP) in 11th place and Hendrik Schmidt (MP) in 13th.
The DA’s director of strategy, Ryan Coetzee, occupies the 14th spot.
Other MPs Mike Waters and Mannetjies Grobler are in 17th and 20th place respectively.
Leon’s spokesperson James Lorimer is number 27 on the list, followed by Vincent Gore (MP) in 28th.
The DA’s Western Cape national list is headed by Pierre Rabie (MP) followed by Helen Zille (MPL), Sydney Opperman (MP) and James Selfe, chairperson of the DA’s federal executive, in sixth place.
Veteran MP Dene Smuts is in 11th position.
In the Free State national list Sandra Botha (MP) is in top position with Roy Jankielsohn (MP) second.
The KwaZulu-Natal national list is headed by veteran MP Mike Ellis with former SABC radio and TV presenter Dianne Kohler-Barnardm surprisingly, in the second spot.
Sitting MPs Sandy Kaylan is in fourth spot and Mark Lowe in sixth position. Gloria Borman (MP) is in 14th position and Graham McIntosh (MP) is 19th on the list.
The North West national list is headed by Paul Swart (MP) followed by DA national chairperson Joe Seramane in second spot.’
On the national list for Mpumalanga former Conservative Party MP Rossier de Wille occupies fourth position, with Mannie da Camara (MP) behind him in seventh spot.
The Limpopo national list is headed by Desiree van der Walt.
The Northern Cape national list has not been released.
Lorimer said the province had decided not to release its ranking until the end of the month.
”Basically this an incentive for people to campaign harder. Each province gets to decide how they want to run things,” Lorimer said.
DA candidates to go to the National Assembly will be determined by the provinces.
”If Gauteng gets enough votes to send 25 people to the Assembly than the first 25 people off the province’s national list will be chosen. The DA’s process is very different from the ANC,” he said.
Lorimer said that the process of choosing the candidates had been highly democratic, with Leon having a limited choice in the matter.
”Tony gets a very limited choice. It’s entirely up to the provincial election colleges.”
Lorimer said that the longer lists indicated areas, like Gauteng, where the party felt it would attract more votes.
”The lists have a greater representation of the race groups. It reflects where we are getting new membership … provinces like Limpopo and Mpumalanga. It’s a more representative list … it was drawn up without using quotas.” — Sapa