End to floor-crossing hailed
2008-02-21 18:02
Cape Town - Opposition parties have welcomed Parliament's committee on private members' legislative proposals' decision to go ahead with legislation to scrap floor-crossing.
On Wednesday, the committee finalised a proposal by Koos van der Merwe of the Inkatha Freedom Party to repeal floor-crossing legislation.
Committee chairperson Vytjie Mentor said: "The committee has come to a conclusion that it is desirable for Parliament to repeal the act."
Van der Merwe, who first proposed the idea in 2006, said on Thursday the integrity of the South African electoral system would now at last be restored.
This was not only a victory for the IFP, but also for democracy in South Africa, he said.
"I am glad the African National Congress has finally seen the light and realised that the legislation contradicts the objectives of the constitution.
"Now, we will force politicians to once again be accountable to the people," said Van der Merwe.
The decision was also lauded by Donald Lee of the Democratic Alliance (DA).
Lee said: "In the past two years, the DA has vigorously lobbied to have floor-crossing done away with in the belief that the ANC had so perverted this practice, it had become an affront to even the most basic of democratic principles.
Large-scale divisions
"While we welcome the fact that all these efforts have borne fruit, it is clear the ANC has not had a change of heart on this issue.
"Rather, it is conscious of large-scale divisions within its ranks and is wary that floor-crossing may, for the first time, be used to its fundamental disadvantage," said Lee.
Mentor said the committee would send its recommendations to the Speaker's office from where the draft bill would be referred to the National Assembly's justice and constitutional development.
"Following intense public interest and comment that indicated the electorate's anti-floor-crossing stance and the ruling party's resolution on floor-crossing, it is time to act in accordance with majority will", said Mentor.
- SAPA