IEC ANNOUNCES ELECTION RESULTS ON APRIL 25

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PRETORIA 000843 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/29/2019 TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREL SF SUBJECT: IEC ANNOUNCES ELECTION RESULTS ON APRIL 25 PRETORIA 00000843 001.2 OF 003 Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR RAYMOND L. BROWN FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) was proud of the efficiency of polling day activities, saying this was "a long way from 1994." The IEC said campaigns were conducted peacefully and there were no incidents of political violence or intimidation on election day. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) achieved its fourth consecutive majority with 65.9 percent of the vote. The Democratic Alliance (DA) remains the official opposition, winning 16.66 percent of the vote and 67 seats in parliament; while also displacing the ANC in the Western Cape with 51.46 percent, allowing them to rule with a majority. With 1,311,027 votes, the Congress of the People (COPE) emerged as the third most popular party, winning 7.42 percent of the vote, giving them 30 seats in Parliament (7.5%). COPE also became the official opposition in three provinces. With the ANC garnering 264 parliamentary seats, the DA with 67, COPE with 30 and the Inkatha Freedom Party (FP) with 18, the large number of remaining small parties together only gained a total 21 seats in Parliament. This gives a potentially unified opposition 136 votes compared to the 264 of the ANC. The poor showing by small opposition parties may presage an era in which three to four parties dominate South Africa's political landscape in the future. End Summary. -------------- A Free and Fair Election -------------- ¶2. (C) On Saturday April 25, Charge' d'affaires and PolCouns attended the gala event hosted by South Africa's Independent Electoral Commission at the Elections Results Operations Center in Pretoria to announce the final tally of the April 22 National and Provincial Elections. Dr. Brigalia Bam and her senior team of IEC Commissioners were joined on the dais by outgoing President Kgalema Motlanthe, who is the ANC Deputy President. (Note: Motlanthe was sworn in as South Africa's third post-apartheid President after the forced resignation of former President Thabo Mbeki in late September ¶2008. Motlanthe's unambitious and unremarkable seven month tenure aimed primarily to act as a caretaker administration whose job was to set the stage for a smooth transition to the state presidency for ANC President Jacob Zuma. End Note.) Thousands of interested people associated with the various competing parties and a great many of the domestic and international press were present to hear the formal announcement of the election outcomes. Jacob Zuma, ANC General Secretary Gwede Mantashe, ANC Youth League President Julius Malema, ANC leader Winnie Mandela represented the ruling party while Mosiuoa Lekota and Mvumelwano Dandala represented the four month old ANC-breakaway opposition party COPE. Senior representatives of the DA, the Independent Democrats (ID),the United Democratic Movement (UDM) and the IFP were not present. ¶3. (C) The IEC was very proud of the efficient manner in which the fourth democratic polling day activities were carried out by its 205,000 staff -- saying this event was a long way from 1994. Reporting on the final election results revealed a 77.3 percent turnout of registered voters -- one of the highest participation rates of any democracy in the Qof the highest participation rates of any democracy in the world -- which was evidence of a commitment by South Africans to build a democratic society. The IEC acknowledged the peaceful conduct of the campaign and said there were no incidents of political violence or intimidation. They applauded the support of the security services and civil society in this result. There were a few reports of administrative problems marring the exercise (i.e., long lines for voters in some locations as new rules allowing registered voters to cast their ballots at any polling station in the country resulted in some polling stations having insufficient ballot papers, etc.). There was also one case of alleged election fraud where a Presiding Officer at a polling station in Kwa-Zulu Natal was arrested in possession of a bogus ballot box with over sixty pre-marked ballots in favor of the IFP. Dr. Bam noted that only 1.3 percent of the ballots were spoiled and not counted among the total. No other obstacles or impediments denied the IEC the pride of PRETORIA 00000843 002.2 OF 003 declaring this election "free and fair," classed the process among "the best in the world," and called it a genuine reflection of "the will of the voters." The IEC, looking forward, is now preparing to implement the upcoming May 11 by-elections, the 2011 municipal elections and the 2014 national and provincial election. -------------- ANC to Lead Government, Again -------------- ¶4. (C) The ruling ANC, based on its overwhelming support among the majority of black voters achieved its fourth consecutive commanding victory, allowing it to continue its uninterrupted control of government. Receiving 11,650,748 votes, the ANC received a majority of 65.9 percent of the vote -- a hair short of a two-thirds majority. Comparatively, the ANC lost a significant margin of its support in 2009 compared with 2004 (69%) and 1999 (68%). This result, however, grants the ANC 264 seats in the next parliament (66%). With this majority, the ANC will determine the parliament's decision on the new president -- the controversial Zuma -- on May 6. With an inauguration scheduled for May 9, it is a foregone conclusion that the Zuma administration will rule South Africa for the next five years. (Note: Zuma has said that he intends to serve only one term as president, though the constitution allows him two five-year terms as president. End Note.) -------------- Democratic Alliance Takes Western Cape -------------- ¶5. (C) Helen Zille's Democratic Alliance, with its "Stop Zuma" campaign, maintained its status as the official opposition at the national level, and gained greater voter support than in any previous election since 1994. With a total of 2,945,829 votes, the DA won 16.66 percent of the national vote and 67 seats in parliament (16.75%). More importantly, the DA has displaced the ANC in the Western Cape, building on its 2004-2009 leadership of the ruling coalition in Cape Town. In the Western Cape, the DA attracted 1,012,568 votes, or 51.46 percent of the total, allowing it to rule by majority without the challenges of leading a coalition of opposition parties. The 2004 vote saw the first time the ANC lost control of a major municipality (Cape Town) and in 2009, the ANC lost control of a province for the first time. However, in three provinces, DA lost is status as the official opposition to the new COPE party. -------------- COPE Surprises, Yet Disappoints -------------- ¶6. (C) The forced removal of Thabo Mbeki as President in September 2008 resulted in the resignation from the ANC of some of his supporters who formed a new party in December 2008 - COPE. Early in its existence, local pundits were intrigued by the emergence of an opposition party that had the potential to draw support from the rank and file of the ANC. In the context on ongoing corruption charges against Zuma and allegations of widespread corruption within the ANC, COPE was seen by some as a party that might displace the ANC. These high hopes were dashed as the campaign proceeded and COPE was revealed as an under-resourced party with its own internal leadership squabbles. Nevertheless, COPE emerged as the third most popular party on the national level, and the Qthe third most popular party on the national level, and the official opposition in three provinces -- the Eastern Cape (13.67 %),Limpopo (7.53%),and the Northern Cape (16.67%). With 1,311,027 votes, COPE won 7.42 percent of the national vote, affording them 30 seats in Parliament (7.5%). -------------- Small Parties Fail to Show -------------- ¶7. (C) A large number of smaller parties, some of whom existed only as a result of the ANC creation of a "floor crossing" policy, failed to attract enough voter support to earn seats in the national parliament. Some of these parties have a laudable history and represent slivers of constituencies across class, ethnic and racial lines. Only the ANC, DA, COPE and IFP gained more than one percent of the total national vote. Among those who received enough votes PRETORIA 00000843 003.2 OF 003 to earn seats in parliament include: the African Christian Democratic Party with 0.81 % of the vote and 3 seats, the African People's Convention with 0.20 % and 1 seat, Azanian People's Organization with 0.22% and 1 seat, ID with 0.92 % and 4 seats, Minority Front with 0.25% and 1 seat, Pan-African Congress with 0.27% and 1 seat, United Christian Democratic Party with 0.37% and 2 seats, UDM with 0.85% and 4 seats, the FF with 0.83% and 4 seats. With the ANC garnering 264 seats, the DA with 67, COPE with 30 and the IFP with 18, the remaining small party representation in Parliament totals 21 seats. This gives a unified opposition the potential of 136 notes compared to the 264 of the ANC. There is debate underway regarding how the smaller marginal parties should proceed. The range of debate provides suggestions from them joining other opposition parties as a parliamentary check on the power of the ANC, to voting themselves out of existence and letting more substantial opposition parties absorb their constituencies. -------------- Comment: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished -------------- ¶8. (C) South Africans are justifiably proud of the administration of the 2009 election process. The IEC deserves kudos for its professional and unafraid management and commitment to doing a good job for all South Africans. The poor showing by small opposition parties may presage an era in which three to four parties dominate South Africa's political landscape in the future. But the nature of politics is such that the IEC, even flush with victory, continued to be the target for political paranoia and party self-interest. For example, the ANC has criticized Dr. Bam publicly for being present at the polling station in which Thabo Mbeki cast his ballot. (Note: Many Zuma supporters believe that Mbeki is the grey eminence behind the emergence of COPE - a suspicion that was only reinforced by COPE members waving a flag with Mbeki's image on it at their victory celebration at party headquarters. End Note.) ANC critics suggested that Dr. Bam should not have been present when Mbeki voted, and she definitely should not have shaken and held his hand. Dr. Bam's phrasing in announcing the results of the election also brought criticism from Zuma's supporters in the ANC. In announcing the winner, Dr. Bam congratulated the leader of the winning party -- without saying "Zuma" and the "ANC." This terse formulation led some Zuma supporters to suspect that Dr. Bam is in their minds the worst kind of political creature in South Africa -- a secret supporter of Mbeki and COPE. End Comment. LA LIME