By Angela Quintal
National Democratic Convention leader Dr Ziba Jiyane wants to unite the opposition and on Monday the first tentative steps were made towards a Christian centrist front.
Jiyane and former ACDP KwaZulu-Natal leader Hawu Mbatha, now a Nadeco MP, held talks in Durban with ex-ACDP chief whip in Parliament Louis Green. Green defected to the Federation of Democrats last week, a party established by former ACDP couple Rhoda and Kevin Southgate.
Green said both parties would consult their members.
"It's about how we can build one movement," he said.
Talks had also revolved around how the Federation of Democrats could represent Nadeco in the Western Cape. Possible dual membership was mooted.
"We have the same goals as Christians of where we want to go. We don't want to re-invent the wheel. We want to unite like-minded parties," Green said.
This could include the established United Christian Democratic Party of former homeland leader Lucas Mangope, which has three MPs in Parliament and four MPLs in the North-West, as well as new floor-crossing parties like the United Party of South Africa which is represented in the national assembly by former NNP MP Stan Simmons.
Green said he would hold talks with the UCDP today.
It was also hoped that if the seven former UDM public representatives won their legal battle on Wednesday to overturn their expulsion, and formed the United Independent Front, this party would also come on board.
Green said it was too early to say whether the Federation of Democrats would eventually collapse into Nadeco in the 2007 floor-crossing period.