MBEKI URGED NOT TO SEEK THIRD TERM!

Leon urges Mbeki to step aside as party head

April 24 2007 at 04:36AM

By Angela Quintal   http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=6&art_id=vn20070424013911495C635489 All democrats should urge President Thabo Mbeki not to serve as ANC president for a third term, as this would hurt the country, says outgoing Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Tony Leon. Leon, who retires from his position next week, echoed the ANC Youth League and others, saying it would be "ruinous" for Mbeki to remain as ANC president, while his surrogate became president of the country in 2009. "Such an anointed successor would become a puppet president, owing his or her position to Mbeki and answerable to him rather than the voters. And, if that president tries to be his own man or woman, the real prospect of two centres of national power would be ruinous indeed." He has not ruled out a third term as party leader Leon said it was incumbent on all South Africans who valued democracy to raise their voices and urge Mbeki to reconsider a third term as ANC president. While Mbeki says he has no intention of amending the Constitution to serve a third term as South African president, he has not ruled out a third term as party leader. The ANC in the Eastern Cape resolved last year to ask Mbeki to stand for a third term as ANC president, although the outcome of the provincial congress is the subject of an internal dispute. Mbeki is due to visit the province later this week. Leon again draw parallels between his own party's succession, which has been an open process, and the opaque tradition of the ANC. 'The drive to reappoint him is clearly in full gear' The DA leader said that Mbeki was the only personality in the ANC whose name was officially on the ANC's succession agenda: "Mbeki has not commented either way; but the drive to reappoint him is clearly in full gear." Leon said he did not want to meddle in another party's internal affairs, but not only the fate of the ANC was involved. "The fate of our nation, and the prospects for the deepening of democracy, are at stake, too. "It would be ruinous because turf wars would break out between these rival camps. "Worst of all, Mbeki's staying would set a grim precedent: he would undo many of the positive achievements to date of his presidency, playing into the hands of Afro-pessimists, who denounce our continent's leaders for failing to leave office when their time has passed," Leon said. In his reaction, ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama said Leon was a master of political inconsistency. He criticised Leon for calling on ANC members to ignore their party's constitution, which does not set a limit on the number of terms an elected office bearer can serve. If Leon was truly interested in "deepening democracy", he would respect the right of members of the ANC to freely and democratically elect their own leadership, consistent with the principle of freedom of association, Ngonyama said. "The ANC does not seek to patronise members of the DA by suggesting they subvert their own internal practices when it comes to electing leadership." It was unfortunate that Leon did not accord ANC members that same respect, "calling on them to disregard what their own constitution says on the eligibility of members for election to party structures", he said. This article was originally published on page 6 of Cape Times on April 24, 2007

 

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