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It would be a last resort but the Economic Freedom Fighters might consider resigning from Parliament if it had the support of the Democratic Alliance.
“If we combine the EFF numbers and the DA numbers and we resign from Parliament, then this thing is no longer a properly constituted Parliament,” EFF president Julius Malema said in an interview with the SABC.
He described this option as a last resort, and said he had talked to the DA about the possibility.
But the DA denied that it was in talks with the EFF about resigning from Parliament.
“No. It’s not true,” James Selfe, chairperson of the federal executive of the DA said.
However, in the interview which was made public on Monday, Malema said this was a strategy that might still work in future. For now, the EFF was still weighing its options and still fighting from within Parliament.
“Maybe we might come to a conclusion where we resign and then once Parliament does not reach its quorum as prescribed in the Constitution, we can approach the Constitutional Court to instruct the Speaker to dissolve Parliament and for the president to declare elections,” Malema said.
But, he again reiterated, this would be the last resort. Asked how long they would take to make the decision, Malema said it would take time.
“A revolution is not like a birthday party, you have to work for it, you have to ensure that everybody else is convinced and that there is no longer an option but to resign from Parliament.”
The party would make an announcement once it was ready, he told the SABC.
They were currently pursuing all options, including approaching the Constitutional Court, to force Parliament to hold President Jacob Zuma accountable.
The interview covered various topics including the outcome of the local government elections last year and the EFF’s decision to vote with the DA in some municipalities.
Malema said the party was not married to the DA but was merely “flirting with them” in these instances. – News24
