Democratic Alliance (South Africa)
The Democratic Alliance ( DA) ( Afrikaans: Demokratiese Alli Ansie, English: Democratic Alliance) is a South African political party and the largest opposition party to the ruling African National Congress ( ANC).
Development
The party was founded in 2000 as a merger of the Democratic Party (DP), the New National Party ( NNP) and the small Federal Alliance ( FA ) was founded. The merger lasted until the end of 2001, when the NNP and FA left the alliance, while the DP maintained the new name.
The Chairman of the Democratic Alliance has since May 6, 2007 Helen Zille, former Mayor of Cape Town since 2009 and Premier of the Western Cape. It replaced Tony Leon, who had previously led the party.
In the parliamentary elections on April 22, 2009, the Democratic Alliance reached 16.66 percent of the votes and became the second strongest force in parliament. This makes it the official opposition party. In the Western Cape the DA could even win an absolute majority. The Western Cape is also the only one of the nine provinces of South Africa, where the ANC does not govern.
The party is a member of Liberal International.
Organizational structure
The DA is led by a Chairman (Leader). At the national level, in addition to the chairman of the parliamentary chairman ( Parliamentary Leader), the party spokesman, the national chairman ( Federal Chairperson ) and its three representatives, the chairman of the Federal Finance Committee and the Deputy Chairman of the Federal Council ( Federal Council) members of the party leadership. Together with other national leaders of the DA, they form the National Board ( Federal Executive). The main body is the Federal Council of the party, consisting of the national leadership and members of the national, regional and local leaders and members of the at least 150 people. The party hot day national conference and will be held every two years; he chooses the party leadership.
The youth organization of the DA is the DA Youth.
Current party leadership
The current party leadership consists of: