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The CNC of the Congress of the People met today at its headquarters in Johannesburg. This meeting focussed on the outcomes of the Local Government Elections. A preliminary analysis was made and the following noted;
The Congress of the People, despite all its challenges, including a dire of a lack of resources, the antics of those ill-disciplined members and former members who worked against the party, of a hostile media and press and other challenges, performed well under these difficult circumstances.
The results show a significant decline in support for the ANC among its traditional base, some growth in support for the DA, mainly among the minorities but also among some Black voters.
Free and fair elections were conducted by the IEC that continues to develop each time there is an election and that bodes well for our democracy.
The CNC noted the tireless efforts of the many volunteers who really are the bedrock of the party. All credit must go to them for the successes of the party in this election. These volunteers will be recognised in due course through events in each local area.

The CNC undertook to convene a workshop of its new councillors as a matter of urgency.

The CNC also agreed to a comprehensive process of assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the party in an open and transparent process culminating in a strategic workshop with representatives of the party from all provinces. This would include the timing for the National Conference.

These election results have placed the Congress of the People in a strategic position to continue to build itself as a credible force for change in our society. With 261 councillors across every province, the party can now work to build its structures across the country. The party has agreed on principles to govern its relationship in coalitions with other parties and will meet the leadership of these parties immediately to finalise the practical arrangements for these coalitions. These are;

PRINCIPLES FOR COPE'S PARTICIPATION IN COALITION GOVERNMENTS
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

The Congress of the People was formed in 2008 with the objective of forming the next alternative government in South Africa. The primary task of the Congress of the People therefore is to govern.

The decision to establish the Congress of the People was taken following the realisation that our democracy and socio-economic development programme of our country were challenged mainly as a result of the threat to our constitution, fraud and corruption.

The conditions that existed at the formation of the Congress of the People in 2008 have, in many cases, deteriorated as demonstrated by the protest of masses of South Africans in different parts of the country and the increase in candidates standing as independents.

The outcome of the elections in a number of municipalities show that our communities are divided, mainly as a result of failures in the delivery of services by the ruling party or the perception of lack of transformation of inclusivity by the official opposition.

The division in the communities has resulted in the Congress of the People, among others, having the responsibility of selecting a party with which it would consider to enter into a coalition in some municipalities in order to form the local government. This division in society also manifests itself in the different expectations of the members of the Congress of the People with regard to who the Party should or should not enter into a coalition government with.

COPE is a social-democratic party which is national in character. It has a diverse voter base from all the communities of our country with a national geographic coverage as further evidenced by the results of the local government elections. These results underscore the need for the Party to consolidate its identity as the most viable national opposition party in South Africa and a future party of government.

In considering this matter, the Congress National Committee, (CNC), recognises that the two large parties with which it is has to consider to enter into a coalition arrangement with have a different identity from that of the Congress of the People, one being a liberal democratic party and the other a broad movement that is essentially populist in character. This distinction between the Congress of the People and these parties must be visible with certain clear bottom lines thus ensuring that any coalition is based on principles.

OBJECTIVE OF COALITION GOVERNMENT ARRANGEMENTS

The Congress of the People recognises that coalitions are not a choice of any political party but a necessity that is occasioned by the inability of that party to garner enough votes to form a government on its own.

Coalitions are therefore tactical, mainly based on an agreement with regard to a limited number of issues and/or core values with the objective of forming a government

In considering its participation in coalition government arrangements, the Congress of the People was inspired by the government of National Unity led by President Mandela in 1994. We recall that the objective of that government, which was made up of parties that had up to then been arch enemies, was to put together our first democratic government and to build a united nation with re-conciliation being a top priority.

Today, the challenge facing South Africa is that of consolidating and deepening our democracy, eradicating corruption with a view to maximising the resources needed for poverty eradication and the prosperity of our country. We also need to accelerate the transformation of our economy and to eliminate the tendency of the re-racialisation of our society.

The objective of the Congress of the People in participating in coalition governments will therefore be address the above mentioned challenges by addressing the material conditions that bring them about which are one party dominance and the lack of economic transformation.

ENSURING PRINCIPLE-BASED COALITIONS

The following shall be the principles guiding the Congress of the People for participating in coalition governments;
Consolidating our democracy by ensuring adherence to good governance and the rule of law, the eradication of corruption and enhancement of the quality of life for all South Africans as well as and advancing the politics of integrity.
Deepening our multi-party democracy by increasing the alternative voice to the ruling Party given its overall dominance in the political landscape across all three spheres of government
Accelerating the transformation of our economy society for the benefit of all South Africans, especially the poor and contributing to building a common national identity.
Shape the on-going political programme of COPE as it builds its structures and voter base guided by our message in the 2009 elections of "A New Agenda for Hope and Change".
Implement our local government elections message to South Africans that "The Time for Change is Now" which took into account the increasing disquiet of the people of South Africa across all political, racial and economic divides.
Consolidate COPE's identity as the only party that has a real potential to grow in South Africa and therefore of being the opposition party with the most potential for being the party of government.
Enhance COPE's character of a people-centred, social-democratic party that is guided by local realities
Reserve COPE's right to opt out of the coalition should that arrangement not be serving the people of South Africa.
The agreement on the participation of the Congress of the People in a coalition government will be taken by the national leadership of the Party taking into account the views of provincial and local leadership as well as the material conditions and realities that pertain at the local level.

The party shall have, based on a detailed Terms of Reference framework, a written Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for each agreement to participate in a coalition government.