Hon Deputy Speaker, hon members and colleagues, the right of all eligible citizens to vote was a major tenet of our struggle for freedom. It stands as one of the cornerstones of this country's democracy, now firmly entrenched in our Constitution. This young democracy is proud to have held four successful national elections and, as we know, we are currently preparing to have local government elections in 2011.
As a caring government, we believe strongly in the right of all citizens, including those who may be physically challenged, to use their vote to choose the leaders they want to choose. Therefore, when the Independent Electoral Commission, the IEC, identified certain aspects of the Local Government: Municipal Electoral Act of 2000 which needed to be amended to cater for the needs of all citizens, we felt that this needed to be addressed before the 2011 local government elections. The proposed amendments contained in the Bill resulted from consultations convened by the IEC with various stakeholders, more particularly, the political parties.
Let me briefly outline some of the proposals in the Bill, which aim to amend the Local Government: Municipal Electoral Act of 2000. Firstly, the IEC saw the need for an election timetable.
Secondly, the Bill provides for the submission of an undertaking binding the party, its representatives, members and supporters to a code, as well as to a declaration that none of the candidates is disqualified from standing for elections. It also makes sure that the candidates submit a certified ID. If the party omits certain documents, the commission must notify the party in writing by no later than the relevant date and time stated on the election timetable. If there are still no documents forthcoming, the commission has the right to remove the name of the candidate from the party list. It also has the right to remove the name of a candidate who is not registered as a voter on the municipal segment of the voters' roll. Again, the commission must inform the party of such removal.
Thirdly, it has a new provision regulating central payment of the prescribed deposit by parties contesting the election. It says that a party contesting elections in more than one municipality must deposit the relevant amount at the commission's head office through a bank-guaranteed cheque, detailing each municipality that the deposit applies to.
Fourthly, it gives powers to presiding officers to redemarcate the boundary of a voting station, because sometimes the voting station is too small and the queues are too long. So, it empowers the presiding officer to do that to ensure proper control and security at the voting stations. Obviously, this would be done after consulting with the party agents and the security people that are there.
Fifthly, it provides that if voting takes place in more than one room, there should be two party agents in each room. In the case of a ward election, if it is an independent candidate, there must be one party agent in each room.
Sixthly, it empowers presiding officers to assist physically challenged voters, including those who are blind or who are unable to hear. For the first time, it also allows special votes for those who, on voting day, are unable to cast their votes at the voting station or in the district in which they are registered.
Lastly, it empowers the commission to apply to the Electoral Court for an extension of the period to determine and declare results of the election if it is unable to do so within the specified seven-day period. These amendments, we hope, will facilitate efficient preparations for the local government elections in 2011. It is my hope that, as these amendments will go a long way towards ensuring a smooth local government election in 2011, the House will actually support them.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the chairperson of the portfolio committee, hon Ben Martins, for steering the work of the committee in such an excellent way. I would also like to thank all the members of the portfolio committee for their guidance and support during the deliberations on these proposed amendments. I thank you. [Applause.]