Ist eine Regenbogen Koalition die Antwort?

Der fruehere Abgeordnete Dave Dalling hat sich Gedanken ueber die Konsequenzen einer moeglichen Koalition nach den Wahlen in naechsten Jahr gemacht. Sein Artikel gibt einen interessanten Blick in die kuenftige politische Landschaft in Suedafrika:

Dezember 2008

“Is a rainbow coalition the answer?

There is nothing like an impending general election to focus the minds of politicians and political parties.

And the unexpected emergence of a new political force so near to an election plays havoc with political pundits and their predictions, not to mention the various political parties and their projections.

Certainly, the appearance and apparent rapid growth of COPE led by Messrs Lekota and Shilowa has stirred the pot quite remarkably, and distracted momentarily the public gaze from the preparations and campaigning of other political parties opposed to the unhealthy hegemony of the ANC.

But there is danger. Unless the other opposition parties play their cards very carefully they stand the risk of their aspirations and electoral hopes being trampled into the ground in the pending clash between Cope and the ANC.

Helen Zille, Cape Town's mayor and leader of the DA, has more than once punted coalition and realignment within the opposition ranks as a way forward to challenging the ANC for power throughout the country.

The feisty leader of the Independent Democrats, Patricia de Lille, has taken her party into coalition with the DA in Cape Town and in several other towns throughout the Western Cape.

Relationships have not been without their problems but the partnerships created are basically working and both parties are growing in stature as a result.

Tony Leon, former DA leader, put his finger on it when he argued in his book, On the Contrary, that even when the various opposition parties did not share identical principles, and there was an absence of full scale merger, "partnerships and co-operative agreements are quite possible".

He wrote: "Our overriding duty to South Africa is to prevent ANC dominance."

After all, there is little disagreement on what the most important and debilitating problems currently facing the South African people are. They are, in my view:
• Poverty and unemployment.
• Violent crime, corruption and a failing justice system.
• Attacks on the constitution and the judiciary.
• The HIV-Aids pandemic and the inefficient administration of health services.
• The slow delivery of housing.
• Failing primary and secondary education and insufficient development of skills.
• Stalled land reform.
• The drain of important expertise and skills to emigration.

Surely the leadership of all the opposition parties are, in the interests of all South Africans, duty-bound to work out common approaches to the above problems and then fight the coming election on these issues, under a common banner or loose coalition.

This presents a far more coherent and promising situation than watching the ANC trample over a gaggle of minority parties, all sounding off on their pet peeves and special interests, while projecting disunity and lack of cohesion.

If a loose coalition of parties can achieve consensus and govern Cape Town, this concept should be able to be spread nationwide.

In fact, it may just capture the imagination and ignite the aspirations and support of more South Africans of goodwill than has previously ever been imagined possible.

A Rainbow Coalition? Why not? It is time for leaders to lead.”
By Dave Dalling 24. December 2008 at 11:58AM - This article was originally published on page 15 of Cape Argus on 24. December 2008