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Botha: Zille 'delighted'
24/05/2007 16:34 - (SA)
Cape Town - Sandra Botha of the Free State was elected parliamentary leader of the Democratic Alliance on Thursday.
Briefing the media after the DA's regular Thursday morning caucus meeting, party leader Helen Zille also announced Ian Davidson would replace outgoing Chief Whip Douglas Gibson, with Mike Ellis as his deputy.
The DA's four whips in the National Assembly were Sandy Kalyan, Willem Doman, Donald Lee, and Paul Swart.
Veteran MP Kraai van Niekerk was elected caucus chairperson and James Masango and Janet Semple the two deputies.
The DA would be led in the National Council of Provinces by Watty Watson, with Juanita Terblanche as whip.
Zille said she was delighted with the outcome of the caucus elections, saying it also conformed to what the party's supporters had indicated in a survey what they wanted - competence, first and foremost.
Everything else, race, gender, language, was not an issue to most.
It was a diverse team that would take the party to new heights, and had the full confidence of the caucus, she said.
Zille also paid tribute to Gibson and thanked him for his excellent service to the party.
Botha, who is also a National Assembly deputy chairperson, indicated she would give up this post, as she wanted to commit fully to her new position.
She would meet Speaker Baleka Mbete soon in this regard.
Botha said she would "take direction" from Zille, but would also "give direction" in caucus.
She was elected by 31 votes to the only other contender, Tertius Delport's, 25 votes. There was one spoilt ballot.
- SAPA
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