Avatar photo

By Citizen Reporter

Journalist


MPs vote to dissolve National Assembly ahead of May 8 polls

The move allows President Cyril Ramaphosa to officially proclaim the election date in the government gazette.


In a unanimous vote, the National Assembly adopted a motion by Chief Whip Jackson Mthembu to dissolve the assembly in terms of section 50 (1) of the Constitution on Thursday. The dissolution of the assembly happens before the expiry of its term on May 20, 2019.

The national assembly issued a statement citing reasons behind the announcement.

“The resolution is informed by the announcement made by President Ramaphosa on February 7, that the national and provincial government elections will take place on May 8. Due to the fact that the Fifth Parliament was convened on May 21, 2014, its five-year term officially ends on May 20 2019. ”

The election date falls within the active five-year term of the Fifth Parliament, which resulted in the dissolution of the National Assembly as elections could not be held while the parliamentary term was in session.

“The necessity for the dissolution is also informed by the need to proclaim the elections date, which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, February 26, 2019. The proclamation of the elections is the legal process wherein the elections date is published in the Government Gazette, thereby closing the voters’ roll and starting the official elections timetable.”

This, therefore, means that South Africans have until close of business on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 to register to vote.

“We, therefore, urge all unregistered voters to go to their nearest IEC offices to register to vote ANC in the upcoming national and provincial government elections.”

The adoption to dissolve parliament is to prevent bills and other parliamentary business from lapsing when the house is dissolved.

(Compiled by Gopolang Chawane)

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.

Read more on these topics

Government National Assembly

For more news your way

Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.