The announcement for the DA’s newly elected Federal Council chairperson has been delayed as counting of the votes is not yet completed.

The 155 delegates, who are still locked in a meeting, this morning voted for their preferred candidate who will be replacing James Selfe.

Former DA leader Helen Zille, Federal chairperson Athol Trollip, Federal Council deputy chairperson Thomas Walters and Federal deputy chairperson Mike Waters are all vying for the position.

“The briefing likely to be delayed. The agenda is moving slower than anticipated,” said Party spokesperson Mabine Seabe.

SowetanLIVE understands that although the voting was completed early this morning, the counting was still ongoing.

The delegates were also still debating the organisational review report that has reportedly recommended that party leader Mmusi Maimane steps down and called for an early congress.

Maimane used his speech at the opening of the Federal Council meeting yesterday to call for the same early elective congress.

“Part of the announcements he made was to reiterate the proposal for the Federal Council to consider an early congress but also to move towards a policy conference that Federal Council will need to take a decision on going forward,” said DA spokesperson Solly Malatsi.

The review report by a panel headed by former DA strategist and ex-CEO Ryan Coetzee that included former DA leader Tony Leon and Capitec founder Michiel le Roux that was commissioned following the DA’s bad performance at the polls early this year is currently being debated at the meeting.

Among other recommendations, it is said to call for Maimane and party CEO Paul Boughey to relinquish power.

Boughey stepped down on Thursday but Maimane has maintained that he is not going anywhere

Maimane has previously said that the report was not the Bible and that its contents and recommendations would not be adopted blindly.

“There are a lot of recommendations that sit there and I think that some are good but this is a report that’s not the bible We must look at it, take what we need to take out of it and modify what we need to modify because we are the ones who are the custodians of the organisation,” said Maimane.

It was also suggested that the outgoing Federal Council chairperson Selfe stepped down as per the review report which seems to blame the current crop of leaders for poor performance at the polls.

Maimane however denied this and said that decisions for both Boughey and Selfe’s to step down were discussed before the report was released.

“It’s not about the report. We’ve been discussing the matter for a long time. About his own future, about what he wants. Certainly think Paul has done a great contribution to the organisation and we must go from there.

“It’s the same with James Selfe. He didn’t step down because of the report, he stepped down because I wanted to make sure we set up a governance unit that will be strengthened,” said Maimane.

According to Malatsi, Maimane paid tribute to Selfe who come tomorrow will be replaced by either Federal chairperson Athol Trollip, former DA leader Helen Zille, Federal Council deputy chairperson Thomas Walters and Federal deputy chairperson Mike Waters.