Cape Town - National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete has thanked the nine out 13 political parties represented in parliament for their submissions on whether the vote in the August 8 debate of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma should be by secret ballot or not, but says "a wide range of factors" have to be considered in making her decision.
Parties were given until Friday, July 14 to make their submissions, stating their views on the matter, to Mbete, "as part of a wide range of factors" she would consider when determining whether voting on the motion would be conducted by way of a secret or open ballot, parliament's spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said on Sunday.
At the lapse of the deadline, nine of the 13 parties represented in the National Assembly had duly forwarded their views to the speaker's office. They were the African National Congress, Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters, Inkatha Freedom Party, National Freedom Party, United Democratic Movement, Freedom Front Plus, African Christian Democratic Party, and the Congress of the People.
Both the ANC and the DA had indicated they would abide by the speaker's decision, while the rest of the nine preferred a secret ballot.
"The speaker has expressed her appreciation to the parties for their submissions, which considered together with a host of other factors will assist her towards making her decision on the appropriate voting procedure."
Mbete would make her decision before the scheduled debate on the motion of no confidence in the president on August 8, Mothapo said.