The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) and the Federal Alliance (FA) are to merge before the 2009 general election, the parties announced on Tuesday.
Briefing the media at Parliament, FF+ leader Pieter Mulder said his party had been in discussions with Louis Luyt’s FA for a few months, ”in the light of the seriousness of the situation in the country”.
While the principle of unification had been immediately accepted, it had also been agreed that, because of various practical and constitutional issues, unification could not be implemented immediately.
Instead, it would be a process that would be completed over a period of time, but before the general elections of 2009.
The FF+ has three MPs in the National Assembly and one in the National Council of Provinces, as well as a number of MPLs in various provincial legislatures around the country and councillors on municipal councils.
Mulder said South Africans needed to once again be inspired with hope and idealism for the future.
”This new unity in the FF+ is a continued action to give our people that hope and idealism again.
”We believe that it is time for a political party to, with credibility and conviction, oppose the governing party where necessary, but at the same time offer solutions that will instil the people with true hope.
”For that we do not only have to have a negative and destructive opposition — rather, a strong political party that can engage the government and render positive contributions, a political party that is prepared to brazenly stand up for its people,” Mulder said.
Luyt, who urged his supporters to vote for the Democratic Alliance in previous elections, said he would now ask them to follow the new party.
Both leaders believed it possible, within the proportional representation system, for the new party to play a significant role in future governance.
A possible name change for the new party would form part of the merger process, Mulder said. — Sapa