S. African ruling ANC denounces opposition’s plan to dissolve Parliament

CAPE TOWN, Aug. 12 — The ruling African National Congress (ANC) on
Wednesday denounced a plan by the opposition to dissolve Parliament to pave
way for early elections.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) announced earlier in the day that it will
table a motion for the dissolution of Parliament and call for early
elections.This came one day after the ANC defeated a no confidence motion
against President Jacob Zuma through secret ballot.In the voting, 198 MPs
were against the motion, while 177 supported it and nine abstained. A total
of 384 MPs took part in the voting.The DA expressed disappointment with the
result, saying Zuma survived yet again due to the protection by the ANC
that elected him twice and shielded him from accountability countless
times.”We believe the voters should now have the chance to express their
opinion about the conduct of the ANC in defending Jacob Zuma. In short, we
believe that Parliament should be dissolved now so that the country can
hold an early election,” DA leader Mmusi Maimane said at a press conference
in Cape Town.

The ANC, however, called the DA’s plan “a ploy”, which “exposes what the
ANC has always stated that the motion of no confidence in Zuma is not about
the president but an attempt at regime change through Parliament.” “This
planned motion by the DA shows that the DA does not respect our democracy
and the electorate of South Africa,” said Nonceba Mhlauli, spokesperson of
the Office of the ANC Chief Whip.

The DA has no regard for the will of the people as expressed through the
outcomes of the 2014 general elections where 62 percent of the electorate
gave the ANC a mandate to govern this country until the next general
elections, said Mhlauli.”We will defeat this planned motion as we have
defeated all other attempts by the opposition to overthrow our popularly
elected government,” he said.The DA’s motion will be tabled in Parliament
on Thursday, according to Maimane.Maimane said the DA will ensure that the
motion be debated and voted on as soon as practically possible.”It is the
DA’s view that this is the most appropriate way to ensure a legitimate
government is in place, one which the people of South Africa have full
confidence in,” he said.-XINHUA