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The Committee on the Presidency sat this morning to elect a Chairperson. The votes, still undeclared, were as follows:

• Doris Mpapane (ANC) - 5
• Myself (DA) - 2
• Seeng Mokoena-Zondi (MK) - 4

Action SA, the MK, EFF and UAT all voted together. These parties will accuse the DA of not voting with them, thereby handing the committee to the ANC.

I want to make it clear: I was nominated first, and if it was about keeping the ANC from chairing the Committee, the opposition must explain why they went ahead and nominated their own candidate, as opposed to consolidating behind the DA.

From supporting a VAT increase last year to now selling out their voters by attempting to hand this critical committee to the lawless MK, splinter parties like Action SA are fast positioning themselves as leading members of the doomsday coalition.

The DA, the Party who spearheaded the establishment of the Committee in this Parliament, has always called for the Chair to not be from the same party as the President. Equally, we will not support any candidate from a Party like the MK whose sole purpose in Parliament is to destabilise the institution.

Should the election therefore go for a second round, with the same candidates excluding the DA, we will abstain. The meeting was suspended to seek procedural clarity. We welcome this procedural development, and this Committee must now proceed to be established as a matter of urgency.

Issued by George Michalakis MP - DA Chief Whip in Parliament