Cape Town - A majority of MPs have pushed through the Electoral Amendment Bill that will allow for independent candidates to contest next year’s elections in the National Assembly and provincial legislatures.
This was after 218 MPs voted in support of the bill while 81 voted against it on Thursday.
The Bill will now be sent to President Cyril Ramaphosa for assent.
The Bill has been in the making for some time after the Constitutional Court made a ruling in June 2020 that independent candidates be allowed to contest national and provincial elections.
This follows an application by the New Nation Movement.
Parliament was meant to finalise the bill last June, but sought extensions until the Constitutional Court granted the last application an order that the bill be finalised by February 28.
Chairperson of the portfolio committee on home affairs, Mosa Chabane, who is an ANC MP, said the bill was the best collective effort of all parties.
He said there will soon be other work needed to deal with issues of aligning the bill with the Political Party Funding Act.
“This bill reflects the best of our collective efforts. The bill sets out the framework of what needs to be done in the transitional period as due consideration is given to broader electoral reform. Once the bill is passed today the committee will look at the consequential amendment, including the provisions entailed in the Political Party Funding Act to align with the Electoral Amendment Bill,” said Chabane.
The bill comes at a time the country is preparing to go to the polls next year.
The law currently allows independent candidates to contest local government elections.
But with these changes, independent candidates will now be able to contest elections at national and provincial levels.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
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