The legal representative for the Department of Home Affairs has advised that signatures of support should remain a requirement for independent candidates to be eligible to contest an election.
Advocate Mitchell de Beer was addressing Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, where the Electoral Amendment Bill was discussed.
The bill is aimed at making it possible for independent candidates to participate in national elections.
Currently, a consideration is that an independent must show voter support of 22 000.
The quota for a seat is 44 000 votes. De Beer explains why they think voters’ signatures are important.
“Having to show a candidate has sufficient support before contesting an election is a good thing. If you can only find five people to support them to contest for election, it will definitely be unlikely to win a seat, to get enough votes for a seat.”
