SOUTH AFRICA: Vote counting underway as polls close, Jacob Zuma remains favourite to be named president
Record ID:
452542
SOUTH AFRICA: Vote counting underway as polls close, Jacob Zuma remains favourite to be named president
- Title: SOUTH AFRICA: Vote counting underway as polls close, Jacob Zuma remains favourite to be named president
- Date: 23rd April 2009
- Summary: SLATE INFORMATION
- Embargoed: 8th May 2009 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: South Africa
- Country: South Africa
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAEZACFDEIIAXZFAVOFGOAWDG4P
- Story Text: The counting of votes has began across South Africa.
The election on Wednesday (April 22) poses the toughest challenge to the African National Congress (ANC) since the end of apartheid and could weaken its overwhelming dominance in parliament.
In the first result of the fourth election since white-minority rule ended in 1994, the official opposition Democratic Alliance, whose leader Helen Zille is white, took 52 votes against the ANC's 50. There were 120 votes counted.
But the ANC looks assured of a win overall making its leader Jacob Zuma president weeks after he was able to get corruption charges dropped.
Turnout was expected to top 80 percent, with the highest number of voters since 1994. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None