Functioning of the Electoral System Term Paper

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In terms of outcomes and successes, it can be said that the small voter turnout, especially in the recent elections of 2004 when only 54% of the population with the right to vote actually exercised it (Pimbo, 2004) it is of little importance the actual result. The rule of Thabo Mbeki has been certified twice in the Presidential office in 1999 and 2004. Nonetheless, in both occasions, the fact that the ruling party, the African National Congress, has held an undisputed majority was obvious in the electoral results. Bu comparison, "the opposition share of the vote has declined since 1994" (Pimbo, 2004). Therefore, there is little evidence of an important opposition force, an aspect which limits the democratic process.

There are other issues which are relevant for the electoral system in South Africa. Given the historical background, representation of the minorities is a crucial matter. According to statistics, it may seem that women are represented at the level of the government rather consistently. Thus, "South Africa has a Cabinet consisting of 45% percent women representation. Our Deputy President is a woman. Woman Ministers hold key portfolios, such as Foreign Affairs, Justice, Health, Education, Housing, Public Administration, Communication, Agriculture and Land Affairs" (Saaiman, 2008) Moreover, the official stand of the South African government is underlining the fact that the target for women's representation is 50% (Saaiman, 2008).

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Due to the difficult system of voting, there seems to be a lack of interest for a participatory democracy. From this point-of-view, the government, as the basic elements of a democratic system are established, tends to be rather stable. Nonetheless, the fact that the common people fail to see the benefits of the change in South Africa is more important for assessing the direction taken by the democratic process in the country. Therefore, it has been considered that due to the voter apathy, there is little concern for election fraud. Therefore, "the ANC's security in its dominant position can be interpreted as one of the factors underlying the increasing peacefulness of the electoral process" (Pimbo, 2004).

Overall, it can be said that the process of democracy in South Africa is relatively young and its effects are yet to be visible for the average people. The electoral system and the electoral process are in this sense a relevant image of the current situation in the country......

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