Cape Town - The South African Cabinet has accepted recommendations by an electoral task team that South Africa retain the current electoral system - for the 2004 elections.

At a post-cabinet briefing on Wednesday, cabinet spokesperson Joel Netshitenzhe said: "Cabinet has received and considered the report of the Electoral Task Team which was chaired by Dr (Frederik) van Zyl Slabbert to formulate parameters for a new electoral system.

"The meeting accepted the recommendations that the present composition of 400 seats in Parliament should be retained and that the current electoral system will apply for the 2004 elections.."

Legislation governing elections expired at the time of the last national and provincial elections in 1999. A new electoral law will be drawn up by the Home Affairs department and Netshitenzhe said this would be processed as a matter of urgency by Parliament.

He said the newly-elected government after 2004 would review the Slabbert report in preparation for the 2009 elections. The majority of the task team supported a multi-member constituency system for elections after 2004 while the minority supported the existing proportional representation system. - I-Net Bridge