ACDP will support motion of no-confidence in National Assembly Speaker

ACDP Member of Parliament and Chief Whip, Cheryllyn Dudley, said today that:

"On careful consideration of the matter of a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly Speaker, Baleka Mbete, the ACDP Caucas at Parliament has decided to support the motion.

We would like to make it clear that we disassociate ourselves with attacks on Speaker Baleka Mbete's person and integrity, and from the antics of opposition parties like the EFF and the DA who have done everything possible to make the National Assembly ungovernable in the past few weeks.

We do, however, acknowledge that Parliament has been chaotic and the Speaker has lost the necessary authority to bring order in the House.  In our opinion this is due to the fact that the Speaker has undermined her own rulings on more than one occasion and has entered into debate with Members to the detriment of proceedings in the House.

It is imperative that a Speaker in the National Assembly is both firm and fair but most importantly, has the courage of their convictions to follow through on rulings made.  Where challenges to those rulings arise these should be speedily addressed and corrected if necessary or suitable consequences to the flouting of rules must follow.

On the issue of whether or not it is advisable for the Speaker in the National Assembly to hold a high party office - because of inevitable conflicts of interest that may arise - the ACDP would like the Parliament of RSA to adopt the position that a Speaker in the National Assembly does not hold a senior party position."

Statement issued by Cheryllyn Dudley, MP, ACDP, September 11 2014

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