IEC releases list of national parties contesting 2014 election

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has released its list of parties that will be able to contest the national election on 7 May this year. Of the 33 parties who indicated their intention to contest the election, 29 complied with the IEC’s requirements, but four failed to submit the required candidate lists or pay the deposits.

The IEC says this is still the highest number of parties to contest a national election in the past twenty years.

These parties will appear on the ballot paper:

1. Freedom Front Plus
2. Workers and Socialist Party
3. African Christian Democratic Party
4. African Independent Congress
5. African National Congress
6. African People’s Convention
7. AGANG South Africa
8. Al Jama-ah
9. Azanian People’s Organisation
10. Bushbuckridge Residents Association
11. Congress of the People
12. Democratic Alliance
13. Economic Freedom Fighters
14. First Nation Liberation Alliance
15. Front National
16. Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa
17. Inkatha Freedom party
18. Keep it Straight and Simple
19. Kingdom Governance Movement
20. Minority Front
21. National Freedom Party
22. Pan Africanist Congress of Azania
23. Pan Africanist Movement
24. Patriotic Alliance
25. Peoples Alliance
26. Ubuntu Party
27. United Christian Democratic Party
28. United Congress
29. United Democratic Movement

The way forward…

From 28 - 31 March a notice of inspection of candidates and accompanying documents will be published and be made open for inspection at the IEC’s office. Thereafter:

• 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

For more information, visit the IEC’s website.