Africa-Press – South-Africa. On Friday, the committee suggested the call for public nominations be re-opened in the hope of attracting more young people, and particularly women, to take on the mammoth task.
The appointment of a panel meant to consider electoral reform for the country is set to be further delayed after Parliament on Friday expressed its unhappiness with a list of nominations tabled by Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi.
Motsoaledi has already missed the deadline to establish the panel in accordance with the Electoral Amendment Act, which came into effect in June.
On Friday, the committee suggested the call for public nominations be re-opened in the hope of attracting more young people, and particularly women, to take on the mammoth task.
The Electoral Amendment Act set a four-month deadline for the home affairs minister to establish a panel of at least nine people to consider whether the country’s electoral system needs an overhaul.
It follows civil society opinion that this was necessary after the law was amended to allow independent candidates to stand in next year’s provincial and national elections.
Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi on Friday presented a list of nominations that includes former ConCourt judge, Johann Kriegler, executive director of the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution, Lawson Naidoo, psychologist and former political prisoner, Saths Cooper, former elections head, Pansy Tlakula and political academics, Ebrahim Fakir and Steven Friedman.
But the committee was not satisfied with this list.
African National Congress (ANC) MP Bongani Bongo: “People like Kriegler must just go home. They must just give a chance to women and young people who can give proper innovation to the work.”
Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) MP Liezl van der Merwe: “I’m a bit disappointed that we only got 20 eligible names considering that the topic of electoral reform has been such a hotly debated topic.”
The electoral reform panel is expected to deliver a report within 12 months of the 2024 elections.
For More News And Analysis About South-Africa Follow Africa-Press
