‘Use electoral report, ANC’: Experts query party’s motives after loss

The ANC’s decision to mobilise for electoral reforms has raised questions about the party’s motive, with some seeing the move as self-serving after its May poll loss.

Experts questioned the timing, while the Van Zyl Slabbert commission’s report on electoral reforms gathers dust, despite its plausible recommendations.

Among its recommendations was the implementation of a constituency electoral system. It called for 75% of public representatives to be elected directly by voters.

Report recommendations

Although it was hailed for proposing the most progressive electoral reforms, the report gained no traction from political parties across the board.

They favoured the proportional representation (PR) system because it offered them a chance of obtaining a seat, even if a party obtained a fraction of the contested votes.

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But the PR system, despite its popularity among parties, has been criticised for being undemocratic as power stayed with the party, instead of the voters.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula yesterday said the party sent its submission to the ministerial panel on electoral reforms.

The panel was appointed to embark on consultations around the need to reform the existing electoral system in the country.

Consultations around reforming existing electoral system

The deadline for submissions is tomorrow, but the panel has indicated it possibly wanted to extend the deadline.

“The ANC will work with a broad front of civil society organisations to mobilise support for the electoral reforms,” Mbalula said.

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“It believes it will strengthen our democracy and accountability of our public representatives in a meaningful manner.”

But experts said the ANC had an ulterior motive for the announcement and questioned the timing for its call for reforms.

They believe it had to do with its electoral loss in the May national and provincial elections.

ANC’s electoral loss

Political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu, lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, put it simply: “Obviously the current electoral system is no longer working in their favour. The ANC should have implemented the Van Zyl Slabbert recommendations long ago.”

Researcher and policy analyst Nkosikhulule Nyembezi said the ANC had become a marginal favourite to play the electoral reforms role when even the composition of the electoral reform panel was opposed by civil society.

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“Public mood suggests many citizens are disappointed by the ANC’s previous imposition of stumbling blocks on electoral reforms.

“That includes the unsatisfactory legislative framework on independent candidacy and the disclosure of party funding sources,” Nyembezi said.

‘Is hostility wise?’

“A different question is whether hostility is wise.

“Some can refer to the ANC as a number one spoiler of our democracy, but such facile references do little beyond dividing the nation.

“More to the point, opposing opinions on this ANC electoral reform initiative are more likely to evoke the reaction of ‘mind your own business’.

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“The ANC’s many terms of office might have had their alarming moments, but the constitution and the electorate saw it off and may do so again if the talked about electoral reforms are regressive,” Nyembezi said.