The president having “much too much power to make downright lousy appointments” is one of the reasons the Congress of the People (Cope) is calling for a referendum.
The party’s spokesperson‚ Dennis Bloem‚ said that‚ after the events of Tuesday in Parliament‚ where MPs debated President Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation Address‚ “must convince even hardcore African National Congress (ANC) supporters that the time has come to hold a referendum on the question of who should elect the president”.
Bloem said the “present arrangement”‚ in which the responsibility of electing the president lies with the National Assembly‚ “is not in any one’s interest at all”.
“As the National Assembly elects the president‚ the president rewards his champions in the assembly with top posts in the executive‚” he said.
“Everyone else in the ruling party then toes the line in expectation of a promotion as happened with the sudden hoisting of Des van Rooyen to the most important post in cabinet (finance minister).”
This‚ said Bloem‚ was part of an “attempt by the president to capture the National Treasury…with Jessie Duarte’s son-in-law as one of the key players‚ (and) indicates why the separation of power‚ enshrined in our constitution‚ is such a signal imperative that must be meticulously observed”.
Duarte’s son-in-law Ian Whiteley was named in recent media reports as one of two of Van Rooyen’s advisors whose presence prompted senior Treasury figures to threaten to resign.
“As a result of MPs electing the president and ruling party MPs waiting to be called into the bloated cabinet as a quid pro quo‚ South Africans have seen how these MPs fawn on the president and do his bidding regardless of the loss of face they have to endure or the damage they do to the country‚” Bloem‚ continued.
“The time has clearly come to ask the nation to determine how the president should be elected. The time for a referendum on the matter has arrived.
“Ours is meant to be a government of the people under the Constitution and therefore the people should be afforded the right to determine how the president should be elected in the future.
“The present incumbent is so damaged and so drained that he is of no use to South Africa.”
He concluded by saying: “Cope calls for a referendum on how the president should be elected.”
Cope wants referendum on how president is elected
The president having “much too much power to make downright lousy appointments” is one of the reasons the Congress of the People (Cope) is calling for a referendum.
The party’s spokesperson‚ Dennis Bloem‚ said that‚ after the events of Tuesday in Parliament‚ where MPs debated President Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation Address‚ “must convince even hardcore African National Congress (ANC) supporters that the time has come to hold a referendum on the question of who should elect the president”.
Bloem said the “present arrangement”‚ in which the responsibility of electing the president lies with the National Assembly‚ “is not in any one’s interest at all”.
“As the National Assembly elects the president‚ the president rewards his champions in the assembly with top posts in the executive‚” he said.
“Everyone else in the ruling party then toes the line in expectation of a promotion as happened with the sudden hoisting of Des van Rooyen to the most important post in cabinet (finance minister).”
This‚ said Bloem‚ was part of an “attempt by the president to capture the National Treasury…with Jessie Duarte’s son-in-law as one of the key players‚ (and) indicates why the separation of power‚ enshrined in our constitution‚ is such a signal imperative that must be meticulously observed”.
Duarte’s son-in-law Ian Whiteley was named in recent media reports as one of two of Van Rooyen’s advisors whose presence prompted senior Treasury figures to threaten to resign.
“As a result of MPs electing the president and ruling party MPs waiting to be called into the bloated cabinet as a quid pro quo‚ South Africans have seen how these MPs fawn on the president and do his bidding regardless of the loss of face they have to endure or the damage they do to the country‚” Bloem‚ continued.
“The time has clearly come to ask the nation to determine how the president should be elected. The time for a referendum on the matter has arrived.
“Ours is meant to be a government of the people under the Constitution and therefore the people should be afforded the right to determine how the president should be elected in the future.
“The present incumbent is so damaged and so drained that he is of no use to South Africa.”
He concluded by saying: “Cope calls for a referendum on how the president should be elected.”
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