The Congress of the People (COPE) says it will table a motion in Parliament, which will see people being allowed to “govern”.
The leadership told media that party president, Mosioua Lekota will propose that the “Private Members bill” be signed into law in order to make Members of Parliament accountable.
The party says the current electoral system gives more power to the political parties and none to the electorate.
COPE National Chairperson Pakes Dikgetsi says the bill will empower those who feel they do not have confidence in one particular political party to exercise their right to vote.
“This current electoral legislation, which has its origins at Codesa (Convention for a Democratic South Africa) and was intended for the first democratic Parliament, is defective, and needs to be brought in line with the letter and spirit of our democracy. This present legislation has taken power away from the people and given it to political parties.”
Lekota says that if this is not changed before the 2019 general elections it will pose a threat to the country’s democracy.
“Indeed, if you ask the citizens of this country, who have you voted for in Parliament that is representing you – you can’t point at an individual. If you want to remove somebody who has stolen public funds you will have to go the political party; if they decide to defend one another, they’ll take one from local government to province, or one from province to national and you can’t do anything about it. This kind of monopoly of power by political parties is a danger to our democracy.”
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