Parliament News Digest 27 June:
Today's Topics:

1.Does France really share South Africa's interests? - by Mighty Madasa
2. SA and USA need genuine partnership - by Mighty Madasa

******************************************************

1. Does France really share South Africa's interests?

African Christian Democratic Party MP Mighty Madasa

French Foreign Minister Mr De Villepin's delight at the common view shared
by South Africa and France on how the world should be governed was made
clear at a meeting with the National Assembly's foreign affairs committee on
Thursday.

France seemed particularly encouraged by South Africa's opposition to the
war in Iraq, implying the unity of France and South Africa against the USA's
domination of world affairs.

Yet the main difference between France and South Africa is that whilst
France has seeks to emasculate the USA's global influence and substitute it
with its own policy that would have the same economic consequences for the
poor, South Africa needs a multilateral world system to ensure equitable
economic development in world trade.

A multilateral political world system that fails to deliver an equitable
world economic trade system is immaterial to poor countries and a hollow
victory.

An important question for ordinary South Africans is whether French support
for multilateralism will be matched with a concomitant support for the
removal of the European Union agricultural subsidies of which France is the
main supporter.

The South African government must be careful not to become a pawn in what is
fast becoming a chess game between the USA and the EU led by France.
Remember the saying that when two elephants fight, no grass grows
underneath.

The excitement of political manoeuvrings must never replace our mandate to
fight poverty and underdevelopment.

For more information: Mighty Madasa MP at 083 302 4938
Media Liaison: Charmaine Horne at 084 370 3550 or 021 403 3307

******************************************************

2. SA and USA need genuine partnership

US President George W Bush's visit to Southern Africa in July will serve to
emphasise South Africa and the USA's mutual need for cooperation and
economic development, said ACDP spokesperson on foreign affairs Mighty
Madasa.

"Whilst the USA and South Africa have differed markedly on foreign policy,
there is still an urgent need for cooperation between the world's most
powerful and large economy and Africa's most powerful and large economy,"
Madasa said on Friday.

"The US needs South Africa to protect its interests in Africa and the Middle
East, while South Africa needs the USA to strengthen its dominant role on
the continent in order to effectively champion democracy and economic
development.

According to Madasa, the key to a working relationship between the two is a
genuine partnership forged on crucial focussed issues rather than an
all-encompassing approach.

"A lot of political and diplomatic maturity will be required beyond rhetoric
to strike a genuine deal," Madasa said.

"Ideology is definitely no longer a key factor in today's politics, as seen
in the convergence between a right-wing French government and its left-wing
South African counterpart."

******************************************************

For a full listing of all the public mailing lists on lists.acdp.org.za,
visit http://lists.acdp.org.za/mailman/listinfo. Click on a list name to get
more information about the list, or to subscribe, unsubscribe, and change
the preferences on your subscription.