Political Resolutions of the COSATU 9th National Congress, 18-21 September 2006

1-5 Strengthening democracy

This Ninth National Congress notes:

1. The current Constitution was a compromise with many problematic elements such as the property clause, the promotion of a degree of federalism and the electoral system that does not promote accountability of people’s representatives.
2. The degree to which a federal system in the form of provincial legislatures has become wasteful of resources permits destructive competition amongst provinces, prevents radical redistributive measures, and marginalises citizens who live in smaller or poorer provinces.
3. The Eighth National Congress resolution on the electoral system called for a mixed electoral system at national, provincial and local level and specifically proposed 65% constituency-based and 35% proportional representation.

Believing:

Our democracy must be anti-imperialist and jealously safeguard the interest of popular classes and the sovereignty to make its policies.

Therefore this Ninth National Congress resolves:

1. Floor-crossing legislation must be totally scrapped.
2. To seek to convince our Alliance partners on the need to test the attitude of the electorate toward a constituency-based electoral system through a referendum. To this end a ballot should be conducted of all people during May and June 2007.
3. A constitutional review/amendment conference should be convened as soon as possible after the 2007 ANC conference. Its primary tasks would include:

a. Developing mechanisms to incorporate systematically the Freedom Charter economic clauses and deal systematically with the property clause;
b. Developing a process of abolishing provincial legislatures and establish a unitary system of government;
c. Reviewing and reworking the present electoral system on the basis of the current COSATU proposals for a mixed electoral system.

4. To campaign for inclusion of these demands in the manifesto of the ANC, and mandate the leadership of COSATU to pursue them in Alliance meetings.
5. The Alliance must develop a people-centred and people-driven consultation process on demarcation, and provide guidance to the demarcation board.
6. Participatory democracy must be the defining feature in which the state fosters popular involvement in governance and decision-making processes.