South Africa political parties cobble together unity government as deadline to elect president looms
South African lawmakers are expected to elect the country’s president on Friday after being sworn in at the first sitting of Parliament that will also reveal the kind of unity government the ruling African National Congress has managed to cobble together after losing its majority for the first time since 1994
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African lawmakers are expected to elect the country's president on Friday after being sworn in at the first sitting of Parliament that will also reveal the kind of unity government the ruling African National Congress has managed to cobble together after losing its majority for the first time since 1994.
The lawmakers are also expected to elect Parliament's new speaker and deputy speaker, choices that will be determined by negotiations that have taken place between the ANC and opposition parties since the country's election results were declared nearly two weeks ago.
Parties are under pressure to conclude negotiations by Thursday to fulfill the constitutional requirement to swear in lawmakers and elect the president within 14 days of election results being declared.
The African National Congress won 40% of the national vote during the country's highly contested elections, followed by the Democratic Alliance with just over 21% and the newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe Party with about 15% of the vote in their first-ever elections.
