No Constitution changes: Mbeki
Matome Sebelebele
16 April 2004
President Thabo Mbeki has said the ruling African National Congress will not use its overwhelming majority in Parliament to change the Constitution.
With vote counting nearly complete by 4pm on Friday afternoon, the ANC was leading the polls nationally with 69.75%, followed by the Democratic Alliance (12.35%), the IFP (6.85%), the UDM (2.3%), newcomers the Independent Democrats (ID) with 1.74%, and the NNP with 1.68%.
"We did not say we were campaigning for a two-thirds majority, and the reason for that is because we did not visualise any constitutional changes", Mbeki told journalists at the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) results centre in Pretoria. "None of the issues that appear on the ANC manifesto will require any constitutional change."
Some opposition parties, Mbeki quipped, were the ones calling for constitutional changes,
for example by demanding the reinstatement of the death penalty.
Mbeki was speaking to the media after shaking hands and chatting briefly with various political party leaders, including Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder, United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa, Dr Motsoko Pheko of the Pan Africanist Congress, and Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille.
De Lille was clearly elated at winning seats in the National Assembly. "I am back there and you are not getting rid of me", De Lille told journalists.
Welcoming his party's victory, Mbeki said the ANC's landslide victory would further arm his administration to deliver on its mandate.
"It remains our view that the stronger, the more popular and broad-based that government is, the better it is. It (government) will unite the people of South Africa to change this country for the better."
Source: BuaNews
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