Democracy Digest 7: The Beginnings of Electoral Reform by Mike Pothier

In June 2020, in the case of New Nation Movement NPC & others v President of the Republic of South Africa & others [2020] ZACC 11, the Constitutional Court ruled that the Electoral Act 73 of 1998 was unconstitutional to the extent that it allowed for citizens to be elected to the National Assembly and Provincial Legislatures only as members of political parties, and not as independent candidates. As is customary, the Court suspended the declaration of invalidity for 24 months, thereby giving Parliament sufficient time to rectify the unconstitutionality by amending the Act to make it possible for ‘indepen- dents’ to stand for election.

Democracy Digest – Beginnings of Electoral Reform by Mike Pothier