Democratic Party, South Africa

Democratic Party, South Africa Established in April 1989 through a merger of the Progressive Federal Party, the National Democratic Movement, and the Independent Party, it sought to unite White liberal opposition to the National Party (NP). In the 1989 elections it increased its parliamentary strength from 20 to 33 members, and subsequently played an important mediating role in the negotiations between the National Party and the ANC for a transition to a multiracial democracy and an end to apartheid. As the NP became more attractive to liberal voters and the major party representing the interests of Whites, the DP lost some of its identity as the major party of liberal opposition, gaining seven seats with 1.7 per cent of the popular vote in 1994. Nevertheless, it played a disproportionate role in the subsequent constitutional debates, campaigning for a liberal, non-interventionist state. This paid off in 1998, when it benefited from internal squabbles in the National Party to become the country's largest opposition party, with 9.6 per cent of the vote and 36 seats. In 2000, it formed effectively the senior partner to the demoralized NP as the two parties merged to become the Democratic Alliance (DA). In its first electoral test after the merger, the DA obtained over 22 per cent of the regional elections of 2000.