Inside Politics Reporter
Former President Jacob Zuma’s MK party is now the official opposition in the National Assembly as adopted by the House’s Rules Committee on Thursday evening ahead of the Opening of Parliament Address (OPA) by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The MK party replaces the DA which had occupied opposition benches since 1999 but has now joined a coalition multi-party government referred to as “The Government of National Unity” after the May 29 elections failed to produce a majority winner.
After the elections, the MK party became the third most popular party in the National Assembly and toppled the EFF. When the DA joined the coalition government, the MK party was therefore recognised as the opposition according to Section 57 (2) of the Constitution.
“Traditionally, the leader of the political party with the second largest number of seats in the NA occupies the position of Leader of Opposition. However, the national and provincial elections in May, which culminated in the formation of the Government of National Unity and with the second largest party – the Democratic Alliance, joining the GNU – the uMkhonto Wesizwe party now becomes the official opposition,” Parliament said in a statement.
Impeached former Western Cape Judge President Dr John Hlophe, as the leader of the party in the National Assembly, becomes the official leader of the opposition.
The opposition party in the National Assembly comes with certain privileges in the house such as the allocation of more minutes in debates.
INSIDE POLITICS
