Cooperation among opposition parties was high on the agenda of a meeting of the Congress of the People’s national leadership, the party said on Sunday.
In a statement issued after a three-day meeting of Cope’s central national committee, spokesperson Phillip Dexter said discussions with other political parties were ”bearing fruit” and would continue.
”The political analysis that describes the challenges that our country faces is very clear in identifying the crisis in the ruling party as the source of many of the country’s problems,” said Dexter.
”Cope is determined to ensure that it mobilises all social forces in the country to defend our people from ongoing maladministration, corruption, the incessant interference in institutions such as the judiciary and the deteriorating conditions of the majority of our people.”
The party’s structures on the ground would begin debating the nature and extent of Cope’s cooperation with other opposition parties.
Last month opposition parties including the Democratic Alliance, Cope, the Inkatha Freedom Party, the Independent Democrats, the Freedom Front Plus and the African Christian Democratic Party agreed to meet on a regular basis to hold ”cooperation talks”.
This was aimed at strengthening multi-party democracy and averting the threat of one-party dominance, the parties said.
Cope, which was rocked by reports of leadership squabbles and divisions earlier this year, was in the midst of its policy formulation process.
Details on public participation in this process would be announced soon, Dexter said.
Cope’s leadership discussed a political overview given by party president, Mosiuoa Lekota, received reports on the state of the organisation, its finances and structures and discussed the performance of the various departments of the party and its public representatives. – Sapa