The Electoral Commission has approved election deposits for the 2019 National and Provincial Elections of R200 000 for parties wishing to contest national elections and R45 000 per provincial election contested.

The IEC said the amounts are the same as those used in the 2014 national and provincial elections, meaning it is a significant reduction in the amount in real terms.

“The final determination of the deposits by the commission followed the publication of the proposed amounts for public comment in October 2018. A total of 14 submissions were received from political parties and other stakeholders. The submissions ranged between calls for an increase in the deposit amounts, retaining the proposed amounts, and a decrease or the scrapping of deposits,” the IEC said.

In making a determination of the final deposit amounts, the commission said it has considered all the submissions along with local and international practice.

“The practice of prescribing election deposits has been part of our electoral democratic reality in South Africa since 1994. In setting the amount, the commission sought to strike a judicious balance between an amount so high that it unfairly impairs the ability of potential electoral contestants and an amount so low that it fails to dissuade frivolous parties and results in a long, unwieldy and cluttered ballot paper,” IEC explained.

In 2004, the amounts set were R150 000 for national elections and R30 000 for provincial elections. This was increased to R180 000 and R34 000 in 2009 and raised again to R200 000 and R45 000 in 2014.

Steady increase in parties contesting elections

Despite the increases in the amount of deposits, the IEC noted that the number of parties contesting national and provincial elections has steadily risen over the past 20 years, while the number of parties that have won seats in the National Assembly has remained relatively constant.

The commission warned that parties which fail to secure a seat in the National Assembly or provincial legislature forfeit their deposit to the National Revenue Fund.

“The number of votes required to secure a seat in both the national and provincial legislatures depends on the turnout of the elections. In 2014, parties required 45 892 votes to be guaranteed a seat in the National Assembly and between 13 627 votes (Northern Cape) and 59 219 votes (Gauteng) for a provincial seat,” the IEC said.

There are currently 285 political parties registered for national elections with the Electoral Commission and a further 36 applications are currently under consideration.

In order to contest the elections, political parties must:

• Be registered with the Electoral Commission;
• Submit a list of candidates within the specified period on the election timetable and
• Pay the relevant deposit within the specified period on the election timetable.

While there is no deadline for party registration for participation in an election (as with voter registration it is continuous), the IEC warned that political parties which have not yet submitted a registration application to the Electoral Commission are unlikely to meet all the requirements for registration in time to contest this year’s elections.

SAnews.gov.za

The Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has described as a “cock and bull story” the allegation on Friday by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed that he has a case to answer over the collapse of Platinum Habib Bank, Bank PHB.

He also condemned the bid by the Federal Government to get the United States government to deny him visa, saying with or without a trip to the US, the PDP would dislodge the All Progressives Congress (APC) at next month’s election.

In a statement issued in Abuja  Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the federal government should bury its head in shame having failed to stop him from travelling to the US.

He said it was shameful that the governing APC took it upon itself to call on the authorities of another country not to grant a private citizen entry visa, which ordinarily should not be its business.

Lai Mohammed had at the hint of the US granting Atiku visa last year, cautioned the Americans not to contemplate the gesture as it might give the impression that the foreign power is supportive of the opposition party’s candidate.

But Atiku who arrived in the US on Thursday said the APC was jittery knowing that its government has failed, stressing that Buhari’s days as president of Nigeria were numbered, which explains why members of the ruling party have been running from pillar to post.

He challenged the federal government to either prove his alleged corrupt activities, or forever remain quiet.

“It is disgusting to continue to spin allegations of corruption against me by people who have failed to come forward with a single shred of evidence of my misconduct while in office.

Isn’t it a shame that the ruling party whose National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole only yesterday gave official confirmation to the general belief that, even if Lawrence Anini becomes an APC member today, Buhari will forgive and consecrate him can turn around to accuse me of corruption today? They just suddenly woke up to the reality that their lies about Atiku being corrupt can no longer hold?

“I challenge the federal government to come up with evidence that I benefited from N156 million slush funds through Claremont Management Services Account on 13th January, 2009 as well as the collapse of Bank PHB as they have alleged.

“It is instructive to note that the same BankPHB is now Keystone bank which was said to have been acquired by Buhari’s cronies through AMCON last year,” Atiku said.

“Tell them that their days of deceit are numbered.

Nigerians are tired of them and they can no longer lie or take the people for a ride anymore,” the statement said

The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) said during a town hall meeting with Nigerians in the U.S that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC has been a “failure” for the past 4 years.

Atiku slammed the party for its many failures in all sectors, at the event organised by the PDP-USA inside the Trump hotel in Washington, DC.

He said that President Muhammadu Buhari has not kept the promises he made on the campaign trail.

Atiku added that he doesn’t think Buhari is “capable” of fulfilling those promises.

“I don’t think he’s capable of sustained focus,” Atiku said. “I don’t think he understands the system.

Many of these promises were feasible if Buhari actually wanted to follow through on them. Instead, the only promises he has kept are the ones that put money in the pockets of his relatives and his cronies, he said.

Atiku said president Buhari has “failed miserably” and the APC -led government at the Centre is putting up fake figures to cover up its mess on the economy.

Meanwhile, Atiku and his delegation has checked out of their Trump Tower hotel in Washington, en route Nigeria, ending his brief visit to Washington.