CAPE TOWN, July 1 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) on Sunday announced premier candidates ahead of the 2019 election campaign.
"The Democratic Alliance stands alone in South Africa for running a candidate list process which is transparent and seeks to attract only the best candidates across the country," DA Federal Council Chairperson James Selfe said.
The selection process is rigorous to ensure that the pool from which Members of Provincial Legislatures, Members of Parliament and premier candidates are picked from is extensive and has people that are dedicated to the democratic project, according to Selfe.
The 2019 elections, expected to be the most contested since the end of apartheid in 1994, will pit the DA against the ruling African National Congress (ANC) which has come under growing pressure for failing to reduce high unemployment and curb rampant crime and corruption.
"As we head towards the 2019 election campaign, the DA will field candidates which have been selected by selection panels comprising members of the Federal Executive and Provincial Executives," said Selfe.
The DA has received a total of 31 applications from premier candidates across the country. These nominees will appear before selection panels in their respective provinces and a candidate will be selected from the process.
Of the nine provinces, the DA currently controls the Western Cape. The other eight provinces are run by the ANC. The DA vows to take control of more provinces in the 2019 election, particularly the Northern Cape and Gauteng, while strengthening control of the Western Cape.
As the largest opposition party, the DA poses the biggest challenge to the ANC. In the 2016 local election, the DA wrested control of several metropolises like Johannesburg, Pretoria and Nelson Mandela Bay, dealing the heaviest blow to the ANC since 1994.
