The Democratic Alliance (DA) has refuted allegations that they will enter into a Grand Coalition with the African National Congress (ANC). Smaller parties at the National Coalition Dialogue have accused both the ANC and DA of laying the foundation of introduction of the Threshold for their Grand Coalition.
ANC Deputy President Mashatile says the coalition dialogue was way beyond political parties. Mashatile was delivering the closing remarks at the two-day event at the University of the Western Cape which ended on Saturday.
The dialogue, which brought together political parties and various sectors of civil society, was convened by Mashatile who is also the Leader of Government Business in Parliament.
The DA has refuted allegations made by smaller parties that there is a Grand Coalition agreement between the ANC and DA. Smaller parties have accused the two big parties of clubbing together to push through the minimum threshold for coalition governments. DA Leader John Steenhuisen says the party will not enter into any coalition with the ANC.
“That is absolute nonsense, and the smaller parties must stop trying to create this arranged marriage and selling my party off to some reluctant bride program to the ANC. We are not interested. We call on some smaller parties to rethink their stance and join the Moonshot Pact,” says Steenhuisen.
Mashatile has allayed fears of the smaller parties and assured them that they are not used to merely rubberstamp a deal between the ANC and the DA.
“Let’s remove suspicions, there is no deal and we here to have a framework we will all agree with. We won’t succeed if we suspicious with one another,” says Mashatile
Mashatile says the Coalition Government Dialogue was a resounding success. The Deputy President says there was no bickering and shouting at the dialogue despite the boycott from the EFF and walkout from the ATM.
“We came engaged, listened and didn’t shout at one another. We agreed that coalitions are with us and we prepared to learn with those who have walked the path. There was a time we worked with the National Party and am sure Masondo would recall in Gauteng we sat with National Party in the executive,” Mashatile added.
The Coalitions Dialogue drafting team will now move to finalize the declaration take, in order to legislate the coalition governments.
But the threshold proposal has made smaller parties unhappy.
ANC Deputy President Paul Mashatile addresses the media following Dialogue on Coalition Governments:
