Politics.za: ID To Join DA Coalition?

ID To Join DA Coalition?

Farrel — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 19:23:00 -0600

The ID might be doing another about turn and join the DA led coalition in the Cape Town municipality.

This will be good news for the DA as it will make votes much more easier to pass in the future. It will also reduce the threat of floor crossing considering the terrible reaction the ID got from it’s backing of the ANC in the mayoral election I’m pretty certain they won’t be too keen to try it again.

However there is still a threat of the coalition not lasting. Consider this:

AMP councillor Wasfie Hassiem said although the party’s first preference had been for the ANC, their overriding goal was to be a part of the winning team.

Doesn’t exactly endear a sense of stability does it?

And on a last note Patricia De Lille has got some serious problems with her party members. From the linked article:

...if its members kept their promise to give their three votes to the ANC candidate, up to four ID members would break ranks and neutralise the AMP by backing DA candidate Helen Zille.

So ID councillors were happy to vote according to ID leadership wishes as long as the ID lost that particular vote? Ouch.

"ID To Join DA Coalition?" by Farrel

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 15:27:40 -0600

Not much I think. Rasool is a bit of a lame duck premiere. He’s no longer head of the ANC in the Western Cape and knows that come 2009 there’s a good chance he’ll be out of a job. I don’t recall seeing him actively campaign for the ANC during the local government elections but then again it’s probably because he spent most the days preceding the election screaming at Eskom over the phone.

"ID To Join DA Coalition?" by Bob

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 12:55:05 -0600

I’m just wondering how all this will affect Rasool….

"ID To Join DA Coalition?" by Farrel

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 01:56:48 -0600

Interesting and a bit of a catch-22 for De Lille there. It looks like unless she manages to placate them somehow they will be ID councillors in little more than name only.

"ID To Join DA Coalition?" by DA Mal

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 01:26:49 -0600

Hi Farrel. ’... up to four ID members would break ranks and neutralise the AMP by backing DA candidate Helen Zille.’ This could happen and there would be rather little Patricia can do about it. The ID has four ward councillors in Cape Town, who owe their loyalty to the seat rather than to the party. If they defied the ID’s whip, and Patricia decided to sack them, the consequence would be a by-election in those seats. The ID would lose, and Patricia knows it.

We should hope for some sign of spine from those four councillors, to back up the disgust shown by the party’s wider membership.