The Electoral Commission (IEC) has released the provisional list of political parties that will be taking part in the municipal elections on 1 March.

According to the election timetable, political parties and ward candidates wishing to participate in the elections had until 17:00 on Friday to submit party lists and candidate nominations and to pay the required deposits.

Some 98 parties will contest the elections, but the proportional representation ballot will have the names of only those parties that stand in a specific municipality.

The main parties in the Overstrand are the ANC, DA and ACDP. The final list will be announced on Monday.

The Hermanus Times will carry a full list of Overstrand candidates and parties in next week's issue.

More than 5 000 candidates have registered in the Western Cape, compared to 3 000 in the last municipal elections in 2000.

· Only voters whose names appear on the voters' roll will be eligible to vote.

· Read more at www.elections.org.za.