For many political parties around the world, drawing up candidate lists for Parliament is a tricky business. There are dozens of contradictory constituencies to manage, egos to massage, and debts to be paid. In South Africa it’s even more difficult, particularly for bigger parties. While they have more spaces to fill, they also have more political equations to balance. Geographical representation needs to work, as does racial balance and language balance. And that’s before one deals with issues like political power, the strength of support of relative constituencies, and competence. The ANC’s National Assembly list is the product of just such a process. By STEPHEN GROOTES.