At exactly 5pm on Monday IEC chief electoral officer Pansy Tlakula closed the door on candidate list submissions to contest the upcoming elections.

Standing with a slight smile on her face outside Election House in Pretoria, Tlakula said: "Whoever was not inside at five o'clock will have to wait another five years to contest the national elections."

The last person who appeared to arrive was a member of the African Christian Alliance (ACA) who hurried up the steps at 4.49pm to hand in his list.

Tlakula said the first party to hand in its list was the Minority Front last Wednesday.

However, 90 percent of those who intended contesting the elections had waited until the last day to make submissions.

"It's a huge positive step as the door closes at five o'clock," said Tlakula.

She sternly reiterated that parties could not change their lists or make any substitutions.

Tlakula would not comment on how many parties had submitted lists, saying only that she would brief the media at 11am on Tuesday.

Around 5.30pm, a very pleased-looking ACA president Petrus van der Westhuizen, wearing a bright red hat and a feather in his cap, exited Election House having made submissions to contest elections at a
provincial level.

Van der Westhuizen said he had left it to the last minute because he had to wait for a guarantee from the bank that they could make the deposit.

"My heart cries. We try hard and we give it our best chance, it's the first time we are going to contest."

Anthony Penders of the A Party -- a coalition of six parties -- said it was all very exciting.

Referring to the atmosphere inside the building, he said: "It was quite a vibe, everyone was quite excited".

Van der Westhuizen interrupted and said "everyone was so happy to just be inside".

On Monday, the African National Congress, the Democratic Alliance, Congress of the People, United Democratic Movement and Freedom Front Plus all confirmed they had submitted their candidate lists before the deadline.

"We can confirm that we have complied with what is expected by the IEC.

The entire list has been submitted to the IEC today [Monday]," said ANC spokesman Brian Sokutu.
The DA also submitted its list on Monday.

"It was submitted this morning," said federal executive chairman James Selfe.

He said the lists contained almost 870 names.

"We've submitted the maximum number of candidates we could submit," he
said.

Congress of the People spokeswoman Charlotte Lobe confirmed at 4.30pm that the party also submitted its list.

Party spokesman Sipho Ngwema denied reports that former deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka was on their candidate list.

He said she had not signed a nomination form, so could not be on the list.

Ngwema also could not confirm reports that Sello Molota was their Limpopo premier candidate but said an announcement on who the nominee was would be made on Tuesday.

"Its difficult to pre-empt [that announcement]."

He said the Limpopo list was delayed because it had been sent back to party structures after it did not meet all the party's requirements underlying list composition.

United Democratic Movement president Bantu Holomisa said on Monday that his party had tried to ensure the representation of women and youth on its list.

"The UDM is satisfied that we have managed to produce a list of candidates that reflect the basic composition of South African society," he said.

Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder topped his party's election nominations list, followed by chairman Abrie Oosthuizen.

The list also includes Carel Boshoff, the party's Northern Cape leader and son of the founder of the white Afrikaner enclave Orania, at number eight, followed by veteran politician Andre Fourie, who was minister of
regional and land affairs under former president FW de Klerk.

Political parties contesting the April 22 elections nationally and provincially had been given until 5pm to submit their national and regional lists.

The lists had to be accompanied by a written undertaken and declaration by the party, a written resolution identifying and authorising a party official to submit the list, the election deposit, a signed declaration
by the nominee indicating acceptance of nomination, and an A5 colour photograph of the party leader for the ballot.

The draw for the party to top the ballot papers would take place on March 11. After that first name, the others would follow alphabetically.

Tlakula said 156 parties had registered with the IEC ahead of the polls, 117 of them at national level, and 39 at provincial level only.

There were 75 parties registered at the time of the 2004 polls, of which only 21 actually contested.