Composition of South Africa’s unity government to be known at new parliament first sitting

Composition of South Africa’s unity government to be known at new parliament first sitting

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South African lawmakers are expected to elect the country’s president on Friday (June 14, 2024) after being sworn in at the first sitting of Parliament that will also reveal the kind of unity government that the ruling African National Congress has managed to cobble together after losing its majority for the first time since 1994.

The lawmakers are also expected to elect Parliament’s new speaker and deputy speaker, choices that will be determined by negotiations that have taken place between the ANC and opposition parties since the country’s election results were declared nearly two weeks ago.

Parties are under pressure to conclude negotiations by Thursday to fulfil the constitutional requirement to swear in lawmakers and elect the president within 14 days of election results being declared.

The African National Congress won 40 per cent of the national vote during the country’s highly contested election, followed by the Democratic Alliance or DA, with just over 21 per cent and the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe Party with about 15 per cent of the vote in their first-ever election.

The ANC has opted to form a national unity government that will include most political parties that contested the election instead of a straightforward coalition with a few parties.

  • An AP report
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