The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) revealed at a media briefing that 14 889 candidates will vie for 887 seats in the upcoming May 29 elections.
The commission says, “Nominations of candidates closed on 8 March 2024 and following processes of verifications and objections, 70 political parties and 11 independent candidates were published as final contestants in these elections.
Fifteen political parties are participating across all tiers of the elections, encompassing compensatory seats in the National Assembly, nine province-to-national elections and nine provincial legislatures.
Thirty-one political parties are entering the national elections for the first time. The analysis of candidates indicates that the majority, 58.14 percent, are males, with females comprising 41.86 percent. With most candidates falling between the ages of 40 and 49, there are 15 candidates aged 18, marking them as first-time voters.
Following the finalisation of the candidate lists, the Commission is set to proceed with the printing of ballot papers for the elections.
Registered voters will receive three ballot papers to elect representatives for the National Assembly and Provincial Legislatures.
The use of three ballots is in line with the amended Electoral Act, signed into law in April 2023, allowing independent candidates to contest in the regional tier of the National Assembly and Provincial Legislatures.
Of the 400 contested seats in the National Assembly, 200 compensatory seats will be contested by political parties exclusively, with a dedicated ballot paper. The remaining 200 regional seats will be contested by independent candidates and political parties, also with a dedicated ballot paper. Thus, National Assembly elections will involve two ballot papers.
Source: eNCA
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