Electoral reform talks: Accountability to the electorate emerges as foremost

CAPE TOWN - Accountability to the electorate has emerged as of critical importance during public hearings on whether the country’s electoral system needs to be changed or reformed.

Civil society groups, academics and researchers have been meeting with the electoral reform consultation panel in Parliament on Wednesday to make oral submissions about the change they would like to see.

The commission says voters have increasingly been expressing the desire to know and directly vote for their public representatives.

With over 350 written submissions already received - the electoral reform consultation panel says there have been mounting calls for voters to have more power to remove elected officials who don’t perform as expected.

Wednesday's discussions have been had about the benefits of a constituency-based system to improve accountability, and how boundaries might be drawn.

Panel member Albertus Schoeman says political party lists and the sole discretion of political parties to decide on their composition have also been prominent points of debate.

"Some of the suggestions that we’ve seen in the past and which have been discussed today as well is the potential to include an open party list, so that voters can vote for both their political party but also within that list indicate preferences for a particular candidate."

Another burning issue has been whether to introduce thresholds for political parties to attain before they can qualify for seats in a council or legislature.

Panel member Michael Hendrickse says no system will please everyone.

"The electoral system is not going to solve all our issues. Yes, it can contribute to the overall solution we are seeking as a country, as a society, by all means, but I don’t think we should say the electoral system will sort out all our problems as we go."

The panel expects to host a national conference in April next year - before making recommendations to the home affairs minister - by May.