JOHANNESBURG, March 11– South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), said Friday that it has completed the selection of candidates for this year’s national and provincial elections. “The ANC is pleased to announce the successful conclusion of its candidate selection process, which enables it to make a timely and compliant submission as required by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC),” ANC’s spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said at a press conference in Johannesburg. The candidates list will be presented to the public shortly, according to Bhengu-Motsiri, who noted that the criteria for candidates included that they have not been charged in a court of law, and are subject to lifestyle audits. A total of 284 candidates were interviewed by the party’s electoral committee, and on the final list, 52.5 percent were women, she said. Bhengu-Motsiri said they have increased youth representation to 17 percent, and the list has ensured the deliberate inclusion of a diversity of sectors, including persons with disability, traditional leaders, and alliance partners. All independent candidates and political parties intending to contest the national and provincial elections, which will be conducted on May 29, are required to submit nomination requirements by 5 p.m., local time, Friday, according to the IEC, the country’s electoral body.
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