<P> Two days before the elections, a car bomb exploded in Johannesburg, killing nine . The day before the elections, another one went off, injuring 13 . At midnight on 26--27 April 1994 the old flag was lowered, and the old (now co-official) national anthem Die Stem ("The Call") was sung, followed by the raising of the new rainbow flag and singing of the other co-official anthem, Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika ("God Bless Africa"). </P> <P> The election was held on 27 April 1994 and went off peacefully throughout the country as 20 million South Africans cast their votes . There was some difficulty in organising the voting in rural areas, but people waited patiently for many hours to vote amidst a palpable feeling of goodwill . An extra day was added to give everyone the chance . International observers agreed that the elections were free and fair . The European Union's report on the election compiled at the end of May 1994, published two years after the election, criticised the Independent Electoral Commission's lack of preparedness for the polls, the shortages of voting materials at many voting stations, and the absence of effective safeguards against fraud in the counting process . In particular, it expressed disquiet that "no international observers had been allowed to be present at the crucial stage of the count when party representatives negotiated over disputed ballots ." This meant that both the electorate and the world were "simply left to guess at the way the final result was achieved ." </P> <P> The ANC won 62.65 percent of the vote, less than the 66.7 percent that would have allowed it to rewrite the constitution . 252 of the 400 seats went to members of the African National Congress . The NP captured most of the white and coloured votes and became the official opposition party . As well as deciding the national government, the election decided the provincial governments, and the ANC won in seven of the nine provinces, with the NP winning in the Western Cape and the IFP in KwaZulu - Natal . On 10 May 1994, Mandela was sworn in as South Africa's president . The Government of National Unity was established, its cabinet made up of 12 ANC representatives, six from the NP, and three from the IFP . Thabo Mbeki and de Klerk were made deputy presidents . </P> <P> The anniversary of the elections, 27 April, is celebrated as a public holiday known as Freedom Day . </P>

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