The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) announced on March 3, 2009, that 42 political parties, out of the 117 parties registered nationally, had submitted candidate lists for the April 22 election.

Eleven parties will contest the elections for the National Assembly and all nine provincial legislatures. These are the:
African Christian Democratic Party
African National Congress
African People's Convention
Congress of the People
Democratic Alliance
Freedom Front Plus
Independent Democrats
Inkatha Freedom Party
Pan Africanist Congress of Azania
United Christian Democratic Party
United Democratic Movement

Three parties will contest the elections for the National Assembly only:
A Party
Hlanganani Sakhe Isizwe
Keep It Straight and Simple

Fourteen parties will contest the elections for the National Assembly and certain provincial legislatures. These are the:
Al Jama AH (National, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape)
Alliance of Free Democrats (National, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng)
Azanian People's Organisation (National, Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape)
Christian Democratic Alliance (National, Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Northern Cape, Western Cape)
Great Kongress of SA (National, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape)
Minority Front (National, KwaZulu-Natal)
Movement Democratic Party (National, Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Northern Cape, Western Cape)
National Alliance (National, Western Cape)
National Democratic Convention (National, Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, North West, Western Cape)
New Vision Party (National, Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Limpopo)
Pan Africanist Movement (National, Eastern Cape)
South African Democratic Congress (National, KwaZulu-Natal)
United Independent Front (National, Limpopo, Western Cape)
Women Forward (National, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Limpopo)

Fourteen parties will contest the elections in certain provincial legislatures only. These include the:
African Christian Alliance (Gauteng, North West)
African Independent Congress (Eastern Cape)
African Muslim Party (Western Cape)
Black Consciousness Party (Limpopo)
Cape Party (Western Cape)
Christian Party (Mpumalanga)
Dikwankwetla Party of SA (Free State)
National Party of South Africa (Western Cape)
Peace and Justice Congress (Free State, Western Cape)
Sindawonye Progressive Party (Mpumalanga)
South African Determined Volunteers (KwaZulu-Natal)
South Africa Political Party (North West)
Universal Party (Western Cape)
Ximoko (Limpopo)

The IEC will now scrutinise the candidate lists to ensure that parties comply with the requirements of the Electoral Act.

The parties will be informed by March 6 as to whether or not they meet these requirements.

The finalised lists will be made available for public inspection on March 16 and March 17.

Click below to download the provisional candidate lists of selected parties.