South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has criticized the country’s main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), for calling on the United States and European countries to monitor upcoming elections.
The party made the request in a letter last week to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and several European foreign ministers.
According to state broadcaster SABC, President Ramaphosa was quoted as saying, “The DA’s letter to the United States government is quite disingenuous and it is almost trying to sell our country to other powers in the world. We have regional organisations in the world like Sadc, AU and have the UN as well.
They always come to monitor our elections and now for a non-state entity to sell our democracy.
“They always come to monitor our elections, but now we have non-governmental organizations controlling our democracy.”
The ruling African National Congress (ANC) also criticized the DA over the letter on Saturday, accusing the opposition of providing the offering. “South African sovereignty on a silver platter”.
South Africa’s elections are scheduled for May 29th.
The ANC’s vote share could fall below 50% for the first time since it came to power in 1994, according to a research poll, reflecting widespread dissatisfaction with the state of the economy, public services and corruption.