NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Democratic Alliance (South Africa)

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is a liberal South African political party, and the official opposition to the ruling African National Congress. It was formed when the Democratic Party entered into a short-lived alliance with the New National Party in 2000. Image File history File links Logo of the Democratic Alliance, from their website, for use on their article. ... Tony Leon Anthony James Leon (born 15 December 1956) is a South African politician and the leader of the Democratic Alliance, South Africas main opposition party. ... June 24 is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 190 days remaining. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Liberalism is an ideology, philosophical view, and political tradition which holds that liberty is the primary political value. ... This is a list about liberalism and political parties around the world. ... The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party, and has been South Africas governing party supported by a tripartite alliance between itself, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) since the establishment of majority rule in May 1994. ... The Democratic Party (DP) was the name of the South African political party now called the Democratic Alliance (DA). ... The New National Party (NNP) was a South African conservative political party formed when the National Party pulled out of the Government of National Unity with the African National Congress and decided to change its name in the process. ... This article is about the year 2000. ...

History and origins

Although the Democratic Alliance in its present form is fairly new, its roots can be traced far back in South African political history, through a complex sequence of splits and mergers.

(1st ancestor party 1910-34): The South African Party won the first general election in the Union of South Africa in 1910. The South African Party was a liberal political party that existed in the Union of South Africa from 1911 to 1934. ... National motto: Ex Unitate Vires (Latin: From Unity, strength} Official languages Afrikaans, Dutch and English. ...

(2nd ancestor party 1934-59): The National Party and the South African Party entered into a coalition, which led to the creation of a merged United Party in 1934. This party included both liberal and conservative elements. The United Party continued to exist after 1959 and was the source of several breakaway groups which merged with later ancestor parties. The National Party (Afrikaans: Nasionale Party) (with its members sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats) was the governing party of South Africa from June 4th 1948 until May 9th 1994, and was disbanded in 2005. ... The United Party was South Africas ruling political party between 1934 and 1948. ...

(3rd ancestor party 1959-75): The Progressive Party, was founded in 1959 when liberal members seceded from the United Party. They could not agree with the inability of the UP to present an alternative to the National Party's apartheid policy. The PP emphasised constitutional reform, a Bill of Rights, an independent judiciary and the evolution towards federalism. These reform propoals were combined with advocacy of a free market economy. In 1961 only Helen Suzman was elected in parliament. For 13 years she was the only opponent of racial discrimination and other apartheid regime's abuses in the whites-only parliament, fighting against detention without trial, pass laws, influx control etc. From 1971 Colin Eglin was the party leader, without being a member of parliament himself. In 1974 the party won 7 seats. The National Party (Afrikaans: Nasionale Party) (with its members sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats) was the governing party of South Africa from June 4th 1948 until May 9th 1994, and was disbanded in 2005. ... A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ... In law, the judiciary or judicature is the system of courts which administer justice in the name of the sovereign or state, and provide a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. ... At the core, political federalism is a political philosophy in which a group or body of members are bound together (Latin: foedus, covenant) with a governing representative head. ... A free market is an idealized market, where all economic decisions and actions by individuals regarding transfer of money, goods, and services are voluntary, and are therefore devoid of coercion and theft (some definitions of coercion are inclusive of theft). Colloquially and loosely, a free market economy is an economy... Helen Suzman was born Helen Gavronsky on 7th November 1917 in Germiston, South Africa as the daughter of Lithuanian-Jewish immigrants. ... A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ... Colin Wells Eglin was a South African politician. ...

(4th ancestor party 1975-77): In 1975 the party merged with the Reform Party, a breakaway party of the United Party, forming the Progressive Reform Party. The President of South Africa is the head of state and head of government under South Africas Constitution. ... Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki (born June 18, 1942) is the President of the Republic of South Africa. ... The Deputy President of South Africa is appointed by the President of South Africa. ... Mrs Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka (born November 3, 1955) is the current Deputy President of South Africa. ... Ministers, in the South African government, are Members of Parliament who hold a ministerial warrant to perform certain functions of government. ... A legislature is a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to adopt laws. ... The Parliament of South Africa is South Africas legislature and is composed of the National Assembly of South Africa and the National Council of Provinces. ... The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) is the upper house of the Parliament of South Africa under the (post-apartheid) constitution which came into full effect in 1997. ... The National Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of South Africa, located in Cape Town, Western Cape Province. ... The Speaker of the National Assembly presides over the South African National Assembly. ... Tony Leon Anthony James Leon (born 15 December 1956) is a South African politician and the leader of the Democratic Alliance, South Africas main opposition party and current leader of the opposition. ... Tony Leon Anthony James Leon (born 15 December 1956) is a South African politician and the leader of the Democratic Alliance, South Africas main opposition party. ... Elections in South Africa take place on national, provincial, and local levels. ... The Judiciary of South Africa is an independent branch of government, subject only to the South African Constitution and the laws of the country. ... The South African Constitutional Court was established in 1994 by South Africas first democratic constitution: the Interim Constitution of 1993. ... The South African Supreme Court of Appeal (Afrikaans; Hoogste Hof van Appel van Suid Afrika) is the South African court that has the final say on all matters other than those that involve the interpretation of the constitution. ... The High Court of South Africa is a court of law in South Africa. ... Magistrates Courts in South Africa are the lower courts and the courts of of first instance and decide all matters as provided for by an act of parliament. ... A map of the nine provinces of South Africa South Africa is currently divided into nine provinces. ... Municipalities in South Africa are a division of local government that lie one level down from provincial government, and form the lowest level of democratically elected government structures in the country. ... Political parties in South Africa lists political parties in South Africa. ... Foreign Relations of South Africa South African forces fought on the Allied side in both World War I and World War II, and it participated in the postwar United Nations force in the Korean War. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ...

(5th ancestor party 1977-89): Two years later dissident UP members formed the Committee for a United Opposition, that joined the PRP to form the Progressive Federal Party. The PFP drew support mainly from liberal English-speaking white South Africans, as owing to South Africa's apartheid laws, its membership was limited to the country's whites. The PFP was derided by right-wing whites, who claimed its initials stood for 'Packing for Perth', on account of the many white liberal supporters of the 'Progs' who were emigrating to Australia. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Frederik van Zyl Slabbert, PFP leader since 1979, resigned from parliament in 1986 because it had, in his view, become irrelevant. Later he formed the Institute for a Democratic Alternative for South Africa (IDASA). He was succeeded by Colin Eglin. The PFP was ousted as the official opposition by the far-right Conservative Party in the whites-only parliamentary elections held on 6 May 1987. This electoral blow led many of the PFP's leaders to question the value of participating in the whites-only parliament, and some of its MPs left to join the National Democratic Movement. In 1987, shortly before the elections, the Independent Party of Denis Worrall was also formed, further splitting the liberal opposition. Frederik van Zyl Slabbert (2 March 1940 - ) was a South African politician and is currently a political analyst and businessman. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Conservative Party of South Africa (Konserwatiewe Party van Suid-Afrika in Afrikaans) was a far-right party formed in 1982 as a breakaway from the ruling National Party. ... May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Democracy

(6th ancestor party 1989-2000): After the 1988 elections, the new PFP leader Zach de Beer concluded negotiations with the IP and the NDM to merge into the Democratic Party in 1989, and proceeded to win 36 seats in the elections that year. The DP played a vital role in the negotiation of an interim constitution which includes most of the original progressive principles and ideals. In the 1994 general election, the first after apartheid was abolished, the party won only 1,7% of the vote and 10 seats in parliament. De Beer was succeeded by Tony Leon, who emphasised the protection of human rights, federalism and free enterprise. The party improved its performance during the 1999 general election to receive 9,6% of the vote and 44 seats, replacing the New National Party as official opposition. 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1994 General Election results, National Assembly African National Congress (ANC) 12,237,655 62. ... Tony Leon Anthony James Leon (born 15 December 1956) is a South African politician and the leader of the Democratic Alliance, South Africas main opposition party. ... South Africas second non-racial general election, held on 1999-06-02, was won by the African National Congress (ANC), who increased their number of seats by 14. ... The New National Party (NNP) was a South African conservative political party formed when the National Party pulled out of the Government of National Unity with the African National Congress and decided to change its name in the process. ...

The DP merged with the NNP in 2000 to form the Democratic Alliance (DA). The much smaller Federal Alliance later also merged with the DA. The DA then formed the government of the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Following the elections of 2000 the DA polled 52.3% of the vote in Cape Town, sufficient to form the municipal government of the city. The DA also formed the government of several other towns in the Western Cape. This article is about the year 2000. ... Capital Cape Town Largest city Cape Town Premier Ebrahim Rasool Area - Total Ranked 4th 129,370 kmÂ² Population - Total (2001) - Density Ranked 5th 4,524,335 35/kmÂ² Languages Afrikaans (55. ... City motto: Spes Bona (Latin: Good Hope) Location of the City of Cape Town in Western Cape Province Province Western Cape Mayor Helen Zille Area - % water 2,499 kmÂ² N/A Population - Total (2004) - Density Not ranked 2,893,251 1,158/kmÂ² Established 1652 Time zone SAST (UTC+2...

The brittle alliance lasted only until 2001, when the NNP left to form a new alliance with the African National Congress. With the departure of some NNP Members of the Western Cape Provincial Legislature, and of some NNP councillors, the DA lost its hold on most of the city councils of the Western Cape. This article is about the year 2001. ... The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party, and has been South Africas governing party supported by a tripartite alliance between itself, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the South African Communist Party (SACP) since the establishment of majority rule in May 1994. ...

With the 2004 general election, both the DA and ANC increased their vote share, at the expense of other opposition parties. The DA won 12.4% of the votes and 50 seats, and remains the second largest political party in South Africa. Legislative elections were held in South Africa on Wednesday, 14 April 2004. ...

With the impending retirement of life-long leader Tony Leon, the party is facing a new era. Given his prominence and long tenure, the DA is inseparable in the minds of most from Mr. Leon. Given the politics of South Africa, the next party head must have qualities able to expand and maintain the base of the party. For the moment, the leading candidates for the next leader of the DA are Helen Zille, Joe Seremane and Douglas Gibson. Helen Zille is the mayor of Cape Town in South Africa, and a member of the the Democratic Alliance (DA). ...

See also

Liberalism is an ideology, philosophical view, and political tradition which holds that liberty is the primary political value. ... This is an (partial) overview of individuals that contributed to the development of liberal theory on a worldwide scale and therefore are strongly associated with the liberal tradition and instrumental in the exposition of political liberalism as a philosophy. ... This article discusses liberalism as a major political current in specific regions and countries. ... This is an overview of parties that adhere more or less (explicitly) to the ideas of political liberalism and is therefore a list of liberal parties around the world. ... Liberal democracy is a form of government. ... This article is part of or related to the Liberalism series Categories: Politics stubs | Liberal related stubs | Liberalism by country | South African political parties | South African politics ...

External links

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South African topics

History
Cape Colony · Apartheid · Foreign relations · Nuclear programme Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Africa. ... South Africa History History of South Africa Events Zulu War (see also Anglo-Zulu War) Boer War Pretoria Convention Sharpeville Massacre Rivonia Trial Historical Groups Azanian Peoples Liberation Army Democratic Party (South Africa) (DP) Dutch East India Company National Party Umkhonto we Sizwe Places Robben Island Bantustan Bophuthatswana Ciskei QwaQwa... The history of South Africa is viewed differently by various scholars and by its various population groups because South Africa is a multicultural country. ... History of Cape Colony via a written history of the area known as Cape Colony, and later Cape Province in South Africa began when Bartolomeu Dias, a Portuguese navigator, discovered the Cape of Good Hope in 1488. ... For the legal definition of apartheid see crime of apartheid. ... Foreign Relations of South Africa South African forces fought on the Allied side in both World War I and World War II, and it participated in the postwar United Nations force in the Korean War. ... South Africa developed six or seven gun-type fission nuclear weapons in the 1980s. ...

Geography
Cities · National parks · Postal codes · Telephone codes Southern Africa seen from Aqua and Terra satellites. ... There are officially nine cities in South Africa (members of the South African cities network). ... Most of South Africas national parks are maintained by South Africa National Parks (SANPark) while the parks in KwaZulu-Natal are managed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (an amalgamation of the former Natal Parks Board and KwaZulu Directorate of Nature Conservation). ... Post Codes were introduced in South Africa in 1975, with the introduction of automated sorting. ... South Africa has switched to a closed numbering system, although as of 2005 it still isnt mandatory to dial the three-digit area code. ...

Politics
Constitution · Political parties · Elections · Provinces · Military · Police // Constitution Following the 1994 elections, South Africa was governed under an interim constitution. ... Political parties in South Africa lists political parties in South Africa. ... Elections in South Africa take place on national, provincial, and local levels. ... A map of the nine provinces of South Africa South Africa is currently divided into nine provinces. ...

Culture
South African English · Art · Cinema · Cuisine · Islam · Literature · Music · Poets · Public holidays · Television (TV series) · Scouts There is no single Culture of South Africa. ... South African English is a dialect of English spoken in South Africa and in neighbouring countries with a large number of Anglo-Africans living in them, such as Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. ... art forms of southern africa, is beautifully painted vases and wood made into animals Categories: Africa-related stubs ... Cookery practised by indigenous people of South Africa such as the Khoisan and Xhosa- and Sotho-speaking people Settler cookery introduced during the colonial period by people of Afrikaner and British descent and their slaves and servants - this includes the cuisine of the Cape Malay people, which has many characteristics... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... South Africa has a diverse literary history. ... The South African music scene includes both popular (jive) and folk forms. ... Lionel Abrahams Tatamkulu Afrika Shabbir Banoobhai Robert Berold Breyten Breytenbach Dennis Brutus Roy Campbell Jeremy Cronin Patrick Cullinan Sheila Cussons Achmat Dangor Ingrid de Kok Sandile Dikeni Modikwe Dikobe Isobel Dixon CJ Driver Jeremy Gordin Nadine Gordimer Stephen Gray Mafika Gwala Bruce Hewett Christopher Hope Fhazel Johennesse Sarah Johnson Keorapetse... Holidays in South Africa: The Public Holidays Act (Act No 36 of 1994) determines that whenever any public holiday falls on a Sunday, the Monday following it will be a public holiday. ... The following is a partial list of South African television series. ... Emblem of the South African Scout Association The South African Scout Association organizes the Scouting movement in South Africa. ...

Other topics
Notable South Africans · HIV/AIDS · Communications · Transport · Companies South Africa History History of South Africa Events Zulu War (see also Anglo-Zulu War) Boer War Pretoria Convention Sharpeville Massacre Rivonia Trial Historical Groups Azanian Peoples Liberation Army Democratic Party (South Africa) (DP) Dutch East India Company National Party Umkhonto we Sizwe Places Robben Island Bantustan Bophuthatswana Ciskei QwaQwa... This is a list of notable South Africans with Wikipedia articles. ... HIV and AIDS in South Africa are a major health concern. ... // Telephone Telephones - main lines in use: 4. ... This is a list of companies in South Africa. ...

Contents

History and origins GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Democracy

See also

External links

History and origins