DA says it has most diverse lists
Maimane sure there are no corrupt candidates
DA leader Mmusi Maimane is confident that members who “applied” to be on the party’s parliamentary list will consist of diverse candidates who will shake up government.
The party’s federal executive met this past weekend to conclude its consolidated National Assembly and provincial legislature lists.
Political parties have until 5pm today to submit the lists to the Independent Electoral Commission.
“When you compile your lists without having to wonder who has been involved in VBS, Bosasa or who has been involved in this corrupt deal, we argue that we want the most diverse lists in the country and we have worked hard to achieve that,” said Maimane.
He was speaking during the party’s launch of the #ChangeChooseDay post in Tembisa, east of Johannesburg, yesterday.
“I’m very comfortable that our lists have gone well and we will be able to submit tomorrow,” said Maimane.
He, however, was vague about divulging if the party had any members who were excluded from the list on the basis that they were either facing charges of corruption or that never met their criteria. He said they went through the vetting process as the federal executive (FedEx) and were confident that nobody was involved in alleged corruption.
FedEx is the highest decision-making body of the DA and also has the power to remove candidates in favour of others for the sake of achieving diversity. “From time to time people might want to access what happened with their own assessments and we are comfortable that the people that are on the list will be people that are not involved in any corruption [and] who are fit and competent for government,” said Maimane. Unlike the ANC which nominates people that will head to parliament through branches, the DA allows its members to “apply” to be part of their lists, according to Maimane.
In the 2009 general elections, the ANC got 65.9% of the vote, DA 16.7%, COPE 7.4% while the IFP received 4.5%. Fast-forward to the 2014 elections, the ANC dropped to 62.15%, the DA increased to 22.23%, new kid on the block EFF received 6.35%, IFP dropped to 2.4% while COPE dropped to 0.67%. Meanwhile, the IEC is investigating a complaint by the DA about a R6m donation to the ANC from embattled African Global Operations, previously known as Bosasa.
The funds were allegedly given to the governing party over the past elections to set up an elections war room at the company’s headquarters in Krugersdorp. The matter is currently being probed by the directorate of electoral offences.
People who are fit and competent for government