The African National Congress (ANC), the Democratic Alliance (DA) and Congress of the People (Cope) submitted their candidate lists for the coming general election before the cut-off on Monday.
Speaking just under two hours before the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) strict deadline, ANC spokesperson Brian Sokutu said the entire list had been submitted on Monday.
”We can confirm that we have complied with what is expected by the IEC. The entire list has been submitted to the IEC today [Monday],” he said.
The DA also submitted its list on Monday.
”It was submitted this morning,” said federal executive chairperson James Selfe.
He said the lists amounted to almost 870 names.
”We’ve submitted the maximum number of candidates we could submit,” he said.
Cope spokesperson Charlotte Lobe confirmed at 4.30pm that the party had also submitted its list.
Lobe declined to publicly name the party’s candidate for premier of Limpopo, saying the announcement would be made ”in the next hour”.
Political parties contesting the April 22 elections nationally and provincially were given until 5pm to submit their national and regional lists.
The lists had to be accompanied by a written undertaking and declaration by the party, a written resolution identifying and authorising a party official to submit the list, the election deposit, a signed declaration by the nominee indicating acceptance of nomination, and an A5 colour photograph of the party leader for the ballot.
The IEC has repeatedly called for parties not to miss the strict deadline.
Last week its chief electoral officer Pansy Tlakula said should a party be even two minutes late, it would be ”out”.
The draw for the party to top the ballot papers would take place on March 11. After that first name, the others would follow alphabetically.
Tlakula said 156 parties had registered with the IEC ahead of the polls, 117 of them at national level, and 39 at provincial level only.
There were 75 parties registered at the time of the 2004 polls, of which only 21 actually contested. — Sapa