/ 10 August 2004

Tony Leon: Nats ‘sold out’ supporters

With their decision to disband and join the African National Congress, New National Party leaders had ”sold out” the 250 000 people who supported the party in the last election, Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon said on Tuesday.

”In the wake of the self-immolation of the New National Party, the Democratic Alliance would like to extend a hand of friendship to opposition voters once again, and renew our promise to provide strong opposition and a positive, non-racial alternative to the ANC [African National Congress],” he said in a statement.

The DA’s message to these voters was simple.

”It is extremely important that opposition voters remain involved in the political process. South Africa now faces a clear choice between the ANC and the DA. And in this contest, every vote counts.”

Many South Africans were clearly quite happy to see the NNP disappear and others had been left confused and angry, he said.

”It is bad enough that the NNP has now completely sold out the roughly 250 000 people who supported it in the 2004 election, just as the Democratic Alliance had warned it would.

”What is worse is that the selfish behaviour of NNP leaders over the past few years has caused hundreds of thousands of opposition voters to lose faith in democracy.

”Many voted with their feet in the last election by staying away from the polls.”

It was extremely important that opposition voters remain involved in the political process, Leon said. – Sapa