ANC wins election with declining support: preliminary results

PRETORIA, May 7, 2014 (Xinhua) -- A staff worker checks voters' identities at a poll station in Pretoria, South Africa, May 7, 2014.

May 10, 2014

JOHANNESBURG, May 10 (Xinhua/Sun)-- South African ruling party African National Congress (ANC) has coasted to an easy win in the country's elections despite declining national support, according to preliminary results released by the Independent Election Commission (IEC) late Friday.

The ANC garnered 62.16 percent of the vote, down from 65.9 percent in 2009. The main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) increased its vote from 16.66 percent in 2009 to 22.22 percent, followed by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) with 6.35 percent.
In Gauteng Province, the country's economic heartland, the ANC's support decreased to 53.63 percent from 64.04 percent in 2009, the party's worst provincial performance in 2014.

The DA retained the Western Cape Province with a majority of 59.38 percent, and for the first time became the official opposition in KwaZulu-Natal, President Jacob Zuma's home province.

The ANC's reputation has been tarnished by the 2012 Marikana tragedy in which dozens of mineworkers were killed in clashes with police, as well as the Nkandla housing scandal of President Jacob Zuma.

More than 73 percent of Cuba's eligible voters cast votes this year, a slight decrease from 2009. Final results will be announced on Saturday, according to the IEC.

The 400 seats in the National Assembly will be allocated by proportional representation with a closed list approach