The Bhisho Legislature adjourned just before noon today after agreeing to a proposed constitutional amendment that will outlaw crossing the floor and accepting a damning report on local government that the portfolio committee described as “an embarrassing cut and paste job”.
The Legislature sits again tomorrow afternoon when it will consider the policy speeches of the Premier and MECs for Agriculture, Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism and Education.
The session is scheduled to last until Friday.
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Eastern Cape backs floor-crossing law repeal
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Showing posts with label floor-crossing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label floor-crossing. Show all posts
Monday, June 9, 2008
Eastern Cape backs floor-crossing law repeal
All parties in the Bhisho Legislature this morning supported repeal of crossing-the floor legislation.
All the nine provincial legislatures must express their view on the matter ahead of the tabling of the Constitutional Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendment bills that scrap the legislation at national and provincial and municipal level respectively.
Deputy-Speaker Gloria Barry told the Legislature that the Rules Committee had met and discussed the proposed measures and supported them.
DA leader Athol Trollip said the crossing-the floor legislation had been “bad” especially as the electoral system in South Africa was that of proportional representation (PR) at national and provincial level, although he acknowledged that the DA had supported it at the time.
In doing so, he said, “we undermined the democratic wishes of the people of South Africa” and had led to greed and “massive opportunism” with people being offered financial inducements.
“Cheque book politics became the hallmark in South Africa”.
The United Democratic Movement’s Masiza Mhlati said that “at last” his party’s view had been respected saying the legislation had favoured those who “wanted to fill their stomachs at the benefit of the people”.
He said the ANC had been the main beneficiary.
He pointed out that the legislation had led to the creation of single-person parties that had disappeared at the next election.
The ANC’s Neela Hoosain noted that it was the then Democratic Party that had initiated the floor crossing legislation, adding that the ANC had wanted the provision that 10% of a party was required to support any crossing the floor in order to prevent the creation of a “plethora of small parties”.
What had actually happened, she said, was that “the identity of parties had been diluted”.
She said people should be encouraged to identify with the party of their choice but that this should be based on “ethics”.
All the nine provincial legislatures must express their view on the matter ahead of the tabling of the Constitutional Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendment bills that scrap the legislation at national and provincial and municipal level respectively.
Deputy-Speaker Gloria Barry told the Legislature that the Rules Committee had met and discussed the proposed measures and supported them.
DA leader Athol Trollip said the crossing-the floor legislation had been “bad” especially as the electoral system in South Africa was that of proportional representation (PR) at national and provincial level, although he acknowledged that the DA had supported it at the time.
In doing so, he said, “we undermined the democratic wishes of the people of South Africa” and had led to greed and “massive opportunism” with people being offered financial inducements.
“Cheque book politics became the hallmark in South Africa”.
The United Democratic Movement’s Masiza Mhlati said that “at last” his party’s view had been respected saying the legislation had favoured those who “wanted to fill their stomachs at the benefit of the people”.
He said the ANC had been the main beneficiary.
He pointed out that the legislation had led to the creation of single-person parties that had disappeared at the next election.
The ANC’s Neela Hoosain noted that it was the then Democratic Party that had initiated the floor crossing legislation, adding that the ANC had wanted the provision that 10% of a party was required to support any crossing the floor in order to prevent the creation of a “plethora of small parties”.
What had actually happened, she said, was that “the identity of parties had been diluted”.
She said people should be encouraged to identify with the party of their choice but that this should be based on “ethics”.
The end of floor-crossing?
Two things are on the agenda for the Bhisho Legislature this morning:
All parties have agreed that crossing-the-floor legislation must go. In terms of Section 74 of the Constitution the Legislature must express its view on the proposed amendment to the Constitution.
The MEC for Local Government and Traditional Affairs must submit this consolidated report to the Legislature in terms of the Municipal Structures Act on an annual basis.
It is believed the report is anything but flattering and there could be some tough talk in the Good News Centre today.
- Consideration of the view of the Eastern Cape Legislature on repealing the crossing-the-floor legislation at national, provincial and municipal level, and
- Consideration of a report from the Legislature’s Local Government and Traditional committee on the Consolidated Municipal Annual Performance 2005/06
All parties have agreed that crossing-the-floor legislation must go. In terms of Section 74 of the Constitution the Legislature must express its view on the proposed amendment to the Constitution.
The MEC for Local Government and Traditional Affairs must submit this consolidated report to the Legislature in terms of the Municipal Structures Act on an annual basis.
It is believed the report is anything but flattering and there could be some tough talk in the Good News Centre today.
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