The battle between the official opposition Democratic Alliance and the fledgling Independent Democrats took on a new election campaign spin with a battle of wills between veteran liberal politician Helen Suzman and ID leader Patricia de Lille.
On Thursday Suzman, speaking at a DA fund-raiser for the April 14 national election, said that those party faithfuls that felt attracted to De Lille should note that she offered little substance and she did not have an enthusiastic constituency.
De Lille on Friday fought back and said Suzman’s support base in the former Progressive Party — which she served as its lone MP from 1960 to 1974 — was made up of a ”tiny support base, a minority of a minority of voters”.
”The whole Progressive Party together then would not account for much more than 1% of today’s vote. She was a lone voice. Nobody can recall anyone in her political team except her,” said De Lille.
De Lille said in a statement, however, that she had ”great respect for Helen Suzman and her accomplishments. I also understand that she sees the DA as part of her legacy and that is why it is so difficult for her to abandon them.
”However, the DA is no longer part of that legacy of liberal ideas and values. They have abandoned everything Helen represented.”
Quoted in the Mail & Guardian on Friday, Suzman said De Lille had a long way to go.
”The real reason I won’t vote for her is that I don’t believe in her sustainability. She does not have as much support as I used to [have]. I had viable party machinery behind me.”
Earlier this week the DA sent a memorandum to canvassers on how to swing back people who were thinking of voting ID. It tracked down De Lille’s comments about Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and comments about farm invasions. — I-Net Bridge
Suzman versus De Lille
Special Report: Elections 2004