Non-governmental organisation My Vote Counts (MVC) noted that while there are several elements of the Coalitions Bill that it supports, it strongly rejects amendments that will diminish political rights and mechanisms that provide accountability and undermine democracy.

Last week the MVC made a submission on the Bill, which was introduced to deal with the “instability and dysfunction” that has, to some degree “unfairly,” been associated with local coalitions, and specifically several metros. 

The Bill proposes changing municipalities with a mayoral executive system, in which no party obtained a majority of seats, to a collective executive system within a prescribed period.

It also proposes providing for the election or removal from office of municipal office-bearers to be by a show of hands. The MVC says voting by show of hands will deepen transparency and accountability and limit corruption and the potential for votes to be bought. 

The organisation agrees that there is a need for some legislation to provide a structure in which coalition governments can operate more effectively. 

“However, this process cannot be used as an opportunity by dominant political parties to cement their power at the expense of voters,” says MVC.

The Bill also proposes binding coalition agreements.

But MVC rejects this proposal saying they are not legally enforceable contracts.

The MVC says the introduction of a 1% electoral threshold will exclude smaller parties from representation in local councils, thus limiting political choice, produce more wasted votes, and diminish the rights of voters. 

It noted the limiting of motions of no confidence and processes to remove key positions in a council, namely the speaker, whip, members of the executive, mayor and deputy mayor to once every two years, saying despite a mechanism to allow for such motions under certain circumstances it will remove a key check and balance of accountability.

“The development of legislation to assist coalitions should not be an opportunity for those in power to consolidate and shrink political competition, under the guise of wanting stability. We must ensure that whatever changes are made are in the best interests of democracy, service delivery, and our political rights,” says MVC.

Meanwhile, the organisation says it supports the requirement for coalition governments to develop and make public coalition agreements.

It explains that these agreements will help the public understand how parties intend to co-govern and what compromises they have made on policy and will serve as a tool for the public to hold the government to account.

It also pointed out that changing the legal status of municipalities that need to form a coalition from the mayoral executive system to the collective executive system can provide greater transparency and accountability and greater stability in a coalition.