Just three positions up for grabs at DA's digital elective conference

Only three leadership position will be contested when the DA holds a virtual elective congress at the end of October.

The DA's federal congress presiding officers, Greg Krumbock and Desiree van der Walt, made the announcement on Tuesday.

They confirmed that current interim leader John Steenhuisen and KZN MPL Mbali Ntuli would contest the position of party leader.

Current DA Gauteng chair Mike Moriaty is challenging the powerful Helen Zille for the position of the DA federal council chair. Zille occupies the position after a spectacular election last year.

The DA federal council chair position is the second most powerful in the party, behind the national leader, as the incumbent is in charge of the party's day-to-day affairs and heads its administration.

Several other candidates, such as Western Cape local government MEC Anton Bredell, national parliamentary caucus chair Annelie Lotriet, Refiloe Nt'sheke and Jacques Smalle are all vying for the position of third deputy federal chair.

James Masango and Thomas Walters have been nominated unopposed as the other deputy chairs of federal council.

Ivan Meyer from the Western Cape has also been nominated unopposed as the federal chair while MP Dion George is also uncontested as the party's federal finance chair or national treasurer.

Below is the DA's statement in full. It is published unedited.

The DA (DA) has today announced the names of candidates nominated to stand for election to Party Leadership roles at the DA elective Federal Congress on 31 October 2020 and 1 November 2020.

In just 18 days, DA Federal Congress delegates will participate in a democratic internal election to select the leadership of the DA; successful candidates will subsequently take the Party forward.

Preparation for DA Federal Congress 2020 is proceeding full steam ahead, and the hard work being carried out to prepare for a successful virtual Federal Congress is progressing to plan.

Nominations for the candidates standing for election opened on 7 September 2020 and closed on Saturday 10 October 2020.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown, the DA had to reimagine the format of our Federal Congress and chose to proceed virtually, with delegates attending congress from their homes and also from a variety of venues being made available nationwide. This approach ensures that the Congress is extremely accessible to all delegates, from all communities.

In terms of the clause 6.1.4 of the DA Federal Constitution, “The Federal Congress elects the Leader, the Federal Chairperson and the [3] Deputy Federal Chairpersons.”

Furthermore, alongside Federal Congress, the members of the DA Federal Council will vote for the Chairperson and two Deputy Chairpersons of Federal Council, as well as the Federal Finance Chairperson, in terms of clause 6.2.4.1 of the Federal Constitution.

As the DA Federal Congress Presiding Officers, we have the pleasure of announcing the after candidates who have been nominated respectively:

Federal Finance Chairperson (Uncontested):

• George, Dion

Deputy Chairpersons of Federal Council (Uncontested):

• Masango, James and Walters, Thomas

Chairperson of Federal Council:

• Moriarty, Mike
• Zille, Helen

Deputy Federal Chairpersons [3]:

• Bredell, Anton
• Lotriet, Annelie
• Nt'sekhe Refiloe
• Smalle, Jacques

Federal Chairperson (Uncontested):

• Meyer, Ivan

Federal Leader:

• Ntuli, Mbali
• Steenhuisen, John

The DA looks forward to a robust and successful Federal Congress as we demonstrate a clear commitment to internal democracy in our Party, despite the limitations of the current pandemic.

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