South Africa is heading closer to the reality of a national coalition government for the first time as partial election results put the ruling African Nation Congress well short of a majorityJOHANNESBURG -- South Africa was heading closer to the reality of a national coalition government for the first time and a series of complex negotiations to achieve that, as partial election results Friday put the ruling African National Congress well short of a majority. That represented a huge drop from the 57.5% it received in the last national election in 2019, although there was still some way to go. There is time pressure because Parliament must sit within 14 days of the election results being announced to choose a president. Coalition negotiations could depend on how far the ANC falls short of a majority in the final results, if indeed it remains under 50%. It has been the dominant political force and slipping below 50% would be a momentous change for South Africa, even if the signs were on the wall.

Source: ABC News June 01, 2024 01:00 UTC