Election season?

In addition to the European elections, for which postal ballots have gone out, and a recall petition in Brecon and Radnorshire, there is a pair of elections in important Commonwealth countries. The largest democracy in the world is in the midst of its seven-phase election. Last Wednesday, South Africa went to the polls.

With less than a tenth of the vote to be counted, the ANC is practically certain of an overall majority. Their vote is down, because of reports of corruption and recent poor economic performance, but clearly the mass of voters still gives the ANC credit for seeing South Africa out of the apartheid era. The liberal Democratic Alliance's advance has been checked, but DA still accounts for a fifth of the vote. The major winners are the EFF on just over 10%.

It looks increasingly likely that, between them, ANC and the more radical EFF will muster the two-thirds majority necessary to amend the constitution and obtain the power to expropriate land.