tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19384577.post512679641193489527..comments2024-03-20T19:23:09.857+02:00Comments on Notes from underground: Voter apathy -- Has floor-crossing been abolished?Steve Hayeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11283123400540587033noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19384577.post-59458714563383058982009-04-14T14:52:00.000+02:002009-04-14T14:52:00.000+02:00From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: nav...From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia<br />Jump to: navigation, search<br />Contents [hide]<br />1 History<br />2 Floor crossing in practise<br />3 Criticism and controversy<br />4 List of Parliamentary floor crossings<br />5 See also<br />6 References<br /> <br /> <br /><br />Floor crossing in South Africa was a controversial system under which Members of Parliament, Members of Provincial Legislatures and Local Government councillors could change political party (or form a new party) and take their seats with them when they did so. Floor crossing in South Africa was abolished in January 2009.<br /><br />Floor crossing was originally enabled by amendments to the Constitution of South Africa and other legislation passed by Parliament.[1] The amendments removed clauses requiring members of the National Assembly to give up their seats should they change parties. According to the void amendments, floor crossing was only permitted twice in an electoral term, in the second and fourth years after the General Elections, from the 1st to the 15th of September.<br /><br />The United Democratic Movement (UDM) unsuccessfully challenged the constitutionality of floor crossing.[2] A bill to amend the constitution to again prevent politicians from keeping their seats when joining other parties, dubbed "crosstitutes", was tabled in parliament in 2008. This was a consequence of the decision of the African National Congress at its December 2007 national congress in Polokwane to reject floor crossing. [3] The bill was passed by Parliament and floor crossing was subsequently abolished when President Kgalema Motlanthe assented to the constitutional amendment 6 January 2009. [Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19384577.post-55210471034626461082009-01-20T08:03:00.000+02:002009-01-20T08:03:00.000+02:00interesting to see the different views on floor-cr...interesting to see the different views on floor-crossing in different countries.<BR/><BR/>on comparison - in Australia, floor-crossing is never seen because anyone who crosses the floor would lose their seat at the next election.<BR/><BR/>ironically, voters are supposed to be voting for people, not parties. if anything, we might decry the lack of freedom that an MP has to represent his community.<BR/><BR/>no doubt this has something to do with the different voting system in South Africa - we have members of parliament representing small, particular areas versus (what i believe is) people who the entire country votes for and ostensibly represent those x-ten thousand people in the country.Pistevohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00690636132232224594noreply@blogger.com