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Local Government Elections: broad overview

Local Government Elections: broad overview. Jaap de Visser jdevisser@uwc.ac.za. Two systems of local government. m etropolitan (City of Cape Town) n on-metropolitan (rest) City of Cape Town – ‘stand alone’ municipality

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Local Government Elections: broad overview

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  1. Local Government Elections: broad overview Jaap de Visser jdevisser@uwc.ac.za

  2. Two systems of local government • metropolitan (City of Cape Town) • non-metropolitan (rest) • City of Cape Town – ‘stand alone’ municipality • Everywhere else: number of local municipalities in one district municipality

  3. Two electoral systems • 50% proportional representation • 50% ward representation

  4. PR elections • Inclusive system: no need for absolute majority to win a seat – number of seats correlates with number of votes received • Political party controls party list – PR councillors are primarily accountable to the party

  5. Broad procedure • Party registers with IEC (nationally or for municipality) • Political party submits party list • Election: party obtains percentage of vote • That percentage determines no of seats • IEC fills seats by taking candidates from party list into Council • Vacancy?  party brings another cllr, doesn’t change politics of council

  6. Ward election • Candidates nominated by parties • Candidates nominated by residents (independents) • 50 signatures of voters in the ward • Winner-takes-it-all election: whoever has most votes wins the ward • (but votes for losing candidates count) • Vacancy?  IEC holds by-election  can change majority in council

  7. City of Cape Town • Two ballots Voter in CoCT

  8. Outside Cape Town • 3 ballots

  9. Voter outside of City of Cape Town

  10. NB! Single Electoral Cycle: 5 ballot papers??

  11. Appointment of local representatives to district • First meeting of local council: election of district representatives • Size of local municipality (no. of voters) determines size of delegation • IEC manages the election

  12. How does it work? • Cllr or a party submits a list to IEC • parties/cllrs can submit combined lists • Councillors vote during meeting: each list receives percentage of vote • that percentage determines seat allocation  composition reflects composition of local council • Party composition of district delegation remains the same throughout term(despite by-elections)

  13. Election outcome 2006 • 7 out 30 municipalities  outright majority • rest: coalitions • Now (after number of by-elections): • 10 out of 30 municipalities  outright majority • rest: coalitions

  14. How are coalitions formed? Depends on system chosen by Province • Mayor appoints coalition that lasts as long as it has support of majority in council (Executive mayor system: mayor appoints members of mayoral committee at his/her pleasure); OR • Council elects an inclusive executive committee, forced to work together Executive committeesystem: executive (led by mayor) must broadly reflect composition of the council

  15. How are coalitions formed? Depends on system chosen by Province • Mayor appoints coalition that has support of majority in council (Executive mayor system: mayor appoints members of mayoral committee at his/her pleasure); OR • Council elects an inclusive executive committee Executive committeesystem: executive (led by mayor) must broadly reflect composition of the council WCAPE

  16. Executive Mayor EM appoints MAYORAL COMMITTEE

  17. Executive Mayor EM appoints MAYORAL COMMITTEE

  18. Executive Committee Council elects Executive Committee

  19. Demarcation of wards • Importance • Election of ward councillors • Ward cllr presides over ward committee • Who? Demarcation Board • How? • Criteria in law, e.g.: • avoid fragmentation of communities • accessible and safe voting stations • identifiable ward boundaries • but…

  20. Numbers game Number of voters Number of wards • E.g. norm in CPT: approx 12000/ward = Norm MDB cannot deviate by more than 30%

  21. Challenge • MDB completed ward delimitation in Western Cape • new areas divided into wards (e.g. Laingsburg and abolished District Management Areas) • Numbers game  sometimes in ‘illogical’ ward boundaries • e.g. Houtbay ≠ one ward • other examples of wards straddles mountains and ‘natural’ communities (Illogical wards or ‘Rainbow Nation’?)

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