De Lille left PAC to 'find space for herself'

Published Mar 27, 2003

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Feisty Patricia de Lille crossed the floor into a new future on Wednesday.

The outspoken De Lille announced that she is quitting the Pan Africanist Congress and forming the Independent Democrats - a new political party.

Although there had been much speculation that possibly as many as eight other MPs might join her, De Lille made the announcement of the formation of her party on her own.

In fact, she admitted that no-one else had defected to join her - yet.

She did, however, say that she would soon announce the names of other "prominent parliamentarians who will join me".

De Lille said the positive response to public speculation that she was breaking with the PAC, spurred her to take the move seriously.

"There was a massive show of support," she said. "The response from the public and the business sector was overwhelming."

She spoke movingly about her personal journey over the past two years and said: "I have travelled a long and arduous road before reaching this decision of today."

She said she was confident of the support of a "talented group of people", consisting of business leaders, high profile personalities, non-governmental organisation members and academics.

De Lille also unveiled a founding document of the Independent Democrats which said while South Africa's democracy was based on a sound constitution and a national commitment to reconciliation party politics, it had failed the electorate.

She also stated that the opposition parties were too weak to keep the present government on its toes. "This is no party's fault - as long as voting occurs along racial and historical lines, an imbalance in our politics will persist," she said.

And because as much as 30 percent of the electorate had lost interest in voting, or felt uncertain about which party to support, it became important to think about alternatives.

"Voters need new options and choices to invigorate our politics and to hold the government accountable to the voters," she said.

She said the Independent Democrats was founded on the principles of accountability, transparency and effective government.

De Lille committed her new party to an open, competitive market economy and the development of sound inter-group relations. She further committed the party to finding solutions to unemployment and to dealing with "the massive destruction caused by HIV and Aids".

She denied that she was approached by the African National Congress to defect to them but admitted that a number of other parties, including the Democratic Alliance, had approached her to walk over to them.

De Lille took great care to explain that the reason she left the PAC was to find a home where she could express her special talents and "to find space for myself".

She had informed the PAC leadership and her resignation had been accepted.

This seems to be the most exciting development in a week of defections but whether other parliamentarians will follow De Lille in the formation of the Independent Democrats in two months time, remains to be seen.

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