HANNES DE WET, Pretoria | Thursday
THE New National Party on Wednesday night sealed its split from the Democratic Alliance.
“The NNP will now finally part ways with the Democratic Party-DA with immediate effect,” NNP leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk told reporters after a special meeting of the NNP federal council in Pretoria.
He said changes to this end in the council’s constitution were passed unanimously.
The NNP would now push ahead with plans to conduct discussions with other parties with a view to what van Schalkwyk described as participatory governance.
“We will be meeting with the African National Congress as soon as possible,” he said.
Chairman of the DA’s national management committee, James Selfe said: “It’s no surprise to us. It’s just as shocking for the voters they represent as it was at the time they first announced it”
Nothing came of expectations that there would also be an amendment to act against Western Cape Premier Gerald Morkel, or to block his plans to hold a provincial NNP congress on November 17.
No such decision was taken, van Schalkwyk said.
Morkel, who opposes the break with the DA, earlier in the day lost a Cape High Court application to prevent the NNP federal council meeting from taking place. The meeting was postponed several times during the day pending the outcome of the court case.
Van Schalkwyk said amendments to the council’s constitution mostly related to the withdrawal from the DA, and the scrapping of the previous system of dual membership of the NNP and the DA.
The council would on Thursday approve guidelines that would enable NNP councillors elected under the DA banner to remain members of the NNP.
“Their NNP membership is not affected. We are only ending the system of automatic dual membership.”
Van Schalkwyk urged councillors to remain calm and to await the lifting of the non-defection clause, a move that would open the way for them to move from the DA to the NNP without losing their seats.
Another change in the council’s constitution related to the disciplinary action against rebel party members.
The NNP leader would now be able to immediately suspend an MP or member of a provincial legislature after consulting three provincial leaders.
Previously, the party leader had to consult the provincial leader concerned after a three-day waiting period.
Van Schalkwyk confirmed this meant, for example, that a Western Cape NNP MP could now be suspended with input from his provincial leader.
He, however, added: “No sensible national leader would ever do that.”
Procedures to terminate membership had also been changed to strengthen the rights of the member concerned.
Such steps would no longer be instituted by the federal council.
Instead, a disciplinary committee would be set up to make recommendations to the council.
This was aimed at removing the danger of political favouritism, van Schalkwyk said.
“People will now have the right to defend themselves fully in terms of the principles of natural justice. Nobody will be kicked out of our party before he or she gets a fair hearing.”
Van Schalkwyk described the NNP’s victory in the Cape Town High court as an important turning point.
He said his approach was to give people who stepped out of line every possible opportunity to return to the fold.
“You never settle political differences in court. Such differences should be settled within the structures of a party,” van Schalkwyk said. – Sapa
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