UK / SOUTH AFRICA: New South African party leader Mosiuoa Lekota expects over 20 percent of vote in April elections

Record ID: 452268

  • Title: UK / SOUTH AFRICA: New South African party leader Mosiuoa Lekota expects over 20 percent of vote in April elections
  • Date: 27th February 2009
  • Summary: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM (FEBRUARY 26, 2009) (REUTERS) NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM CONGRESS OF THE PEOPLE (COPE) PARTY LEADER MOSIUOA LEKOTA WALKS TO PODIUM AUDIENCE MEMBERS SEATED LISTENING LEKOTA ADDRESSING AUDIENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) COPE PARTY LEADER MOSIUOA LEKOTA SAYING: "I believe that South Africans will vote more than 51 percent for values and for an alternative." AUDIENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) COPE PARTY LEADER MOSIUOA LEKOTA SAYING: AUDIENCE "I think therefore the Congress of the People with other opposition parties will definitely poll more votes than the ruling party and the rest I leave to history." LEKOTA LEAVES PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) COPE PARTY LEADER MOSIUOA LEKOTA SAYING: "I am not sure, but judging by the recent by-elections in some of the provinces we polled on average about 22 percent of the vote, so, if that persists across the country then we would think we would think somewhere between, I mean, somewhere above 22 percent." (Answering reporter's question: What happens to COPE? what happens to the party if you dont get above 22 percent?) "Look, as with all political parties, the formation of a party - it is not a one day affair - it is a long term haul. We are building the party as such to be a party with strength, with a future. The Congress of the People can only become stronger, it cannot become weaker than it is. The fact that it has already been able to win by-elections even though it is only two months old or so, suggests that it is a party with a very rich probability of becoming an even official opposition. In fact many people at home predict that if we did not win government we will quite definitely be the new opposition party in parliament." CUTAWAY OF LEKOTA SEATED (SOUNDBITE) (English) COPE PARTY LEADER MOSIUOA LEKOTA SAYING: "No we are very happy. First of all, we promised the people that we really need a leadership of integrity that cannot be questioned and will not leave masses of people in doubt."
  • Embargoed: 14th March 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVADN5BSWP5DSDUG5U7EHTKKYGE1
  • Story Text: South Africa's new Congress of the People (COPE) party expects more than 20 percent of the vote in the April general election and hopes opposition parties will together be able to unseat the ruling ANC, the party leader said in London on Thursday (February 26).
    Mosiuoa Lekota said that even if the Congress of the People did not do as well as he hoped, the party formed by African National Congress dissidents would become the main opposition in parliament.
    The ANC faces its toughest election challenge since the end of apartheid in 1994 after the formation of COPE from loyalists of ousted President Thabo Mbeki.
    Lekota based his projections for the April 22 general election result on what he said was the party's average of 22 percent in recent by-elections in some provinces.
    "If that persists across the country we think somewhere above 22 percent," Lekota told Reuters in London when asked what percentage he expected COPE to win.
    "I believe that South Africans will vote more than 51 percent for values and for an alternative," Lekota said.
    COPE, generally seen as more pro-business than the ANC, has put the fight against corruption at the centre of its campaign. ANC presidential candidate Jacob Zuma, widely expected to win, is battling graft charges he says are politically motivated.
    To break the dominance of the ANC and stop it being able to push legislation through parliament unchallenged, opposition parties need to win more than one third of the seats.
    COPE was formed after Mbeki was ousted by the party last year, following accusations of meddling in Zuma's trial.
    Last week, COPE chose Methodist Bishop Mvume Dandala as its presidential candidate over Lekota and party deputy Mbhazima Shilowa, prompting suggestions in local media that Lekota was unhappy with the decision.
    But Lekota, a former defence minister under Mbeki, said he supported the decision and the bishop was chosen because he was not tarnished by links to any political scandal.
    "We promised the people we really need a leadership of integrity that cannot be questioned and will not leave masses of people in doubt,"
    Lekota said on the sides of an event organised by the Royal African Society.
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