With the ANC now holding only 159 of the 400 seats in the National Assembly, and assuming that the 87 DA MPs will not support a presidential candidate put forward by the EFF or MK, three possible scenarios could play out in the coming weeks.

After the final declaration of the election results on the night of Sunday 2 June 2024, all eyes will now turn to the first sitting of the National Assembly which "must take place at a time and on a date determined by the Chief Justice, but not more than 14 days after the election result has been declared". It is at this first sitting that the NA is required to elect a new President as well as a new Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

This election must take place regardless of whether any agreement has been reached among the relevant political parties on forming a coalition government. If an agreement is reached before the first sitting, the election of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and President should be uneventful.

But if no agreement is reached, political parties might have to make difficult decisions on who to nominate for these positions and -- if more than two candidates are nominated -- which candidate its MPs should vote for in each round of voting.

These elections must be conducted in terms of Schedule 3 of the Constitution, which requires a candidate to win an absolute majority of the votes cast in order to be...