JOHANNESBURG June 3 – South Africa’s president on Sunday urged political parties that won votes last week to find common ground by overcoming their differences and working together for the good of the country, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported.
Addressing the nation after electoral authorities announced the results on Sunday, Ramaphosa said, “Our people expect all parties to work together within the framework of our Constitution and address whatever challenges we encounter peacefully and in accordance with the prescripts of our Constitution and the rule of law.”
Ramaphosa called on all parties to recognise that the results of the election reflect the will of the people.
“We have held another successful election that has been free, fair and peaceful,” he said.
South Africans last week voted for national and provincial lawmakers in an election which saw President Cyril Ramaphosa’s governing African National Congress (ANC) party — in power since 1994 — fall short of getting a majority for the first time.
The ANC, which had 230 members of parliament in the previous house, saw its support fall to 159 seats in the 400-member National Assembly.
The official opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) now has 87 seats, while Zuma’s newly formed uMkhonto weSizwe party garnered 58 seats, pushing the Economic Freedom Fighters party led by Julius Malema to the number four position after getting 39 seats.
Other big parties in the new National Assembly will include the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), which got 17 seats, followed by the Patriotic Alliance (PA), with nine.
The ANC still has the highest number of seats and so will have to assemble a coalition with some parties to form the next government.
Security has been beefed up in areas across the country seen as hotspots for protests and violence.
South Africans vote for lawmakers of provincial legislatures and the 400 members of parliament, known as the National Assembly.
The voting is on a party basis and the parties get seats in parliament.
The lawmakers then elect the president, which means that the party that wins the election gets the ultimate power in the country.
