"The aim is to depoliticise the local government," said Jock McConnachie at the launch of the New Deal at the Public Library on Thursday evening.
"The aim is to depoliticise the local government," said Jock McConnachie at the launch of the New Deal at the Public Library on Thursday evening.
The New Deal will consist of an executive of 10 members and will only need 50 signatures for it to be registered with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). McConnachie said that he formulated the idea of earlier this year because of the problem with current local government is that councillors represent the wishes of the party first and not that of the people.
"It is the system that needs to be changed," said McConnachie. "Some councillors only feel answerable to the party and not to the constituency."
McConnachie said that the New Deal will put the interests if the people and communities firsts and aims to have a group of independent candidates spread in each ward. Councillors will be elected by the community and will be answerable to their constituency, not the organisation, and there will be no caucussing before a council meeting.
"[At present] people vote for the party, not the councillors," said McConnachie. In terms of selecting candidates, he said that the New Deal will look for an individual has the support in the community and a strong sense of civic responsibility. "We will try to persuade such person to stand for the New Deal as independent candidates," said McConnachie.
The New Deal will not have a set of policies that councillors will subscribe to, as the aim will be to keep the constituents happy. In starting up the New Deal, McConnachie acknowledged that the organisation will face difficulties in its infancy, but it has already won some support. He understands that with the public, actions speak louder than words.
"Until the idea is ready to be used and registered, then people will not take it seriously," he said. However, he said that the organisation is open to candidates from other parties, even though they may face expulsion or exclusion from party structures, something that he says he may also face, being an active member of the Democratic Alliance.
He said he has excluded himself from all DA branch level activities. One of the people who attended said that independent candidates from other parties could use the New Deal as a trojan horse.
McConnachie acknowledged this threat but said that those candidates will not be forced to give up their other party memberships. "They can join, but they will not be allowed to practice their party politics."
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