Against the background set out in the attached position paper, the Government considers it in the best interest of the country that a fully representative Government of National Unity should be in place no later than the first half of 1994. Such a Government would function in terms of a transitional constitution which would, inter alia provide for an elected parliament and executive.

However, the timing of the installation of the Government of National Unity cannot be determined in isolation from the process which necessarily precede it. Before this can happen, a number of steps must first be successfully completed in accordance with the broad consensus which has already been reached regarding the transitional process.

Against this background, the Government is convinced that the following objectives and target time scales are attainable, and given the co-operation of all parties can even be advanced, and should therefore be vigorously pursued:

• Bilateral discussion across a broad spectrum of political parties, aimed at the resumption of negotiations, whether in a new forum or in a more representative and restructured CODESA, to be completed before:

• Such a multilateral negotiating forum to be convened before:

• Multilateral agreements on a Transitional Constitution (including constitution-making procedures, constitutional principles and regional governments), Transitional Executive Council and Election Commission to be concluded before:

• Legislation for Transitional Executive Council and Election Commission to be adopted in:

• Transitional Executive Council and Election Commission to be instituted in:

• Transitional Constitution ( also providing for constitution-making body) to be enacted before:

• Elections rules and regulations to formulated and promulgated before:

• Playing field to be levelled; free political participation to be ensured; violence to be contained ; party political campaigns to organised and included; logistical preparations to be made and voter information campaigns to be conducted for elections to held not later than:

Naturally, our ability to meet these target dates will depend on the cooperation of the other major parties and their commitment to the process. However, if we are able to make rapid progress in dealing with above mentioned steps, it may be possible to establish the Government of National Unity earlier than envisaged.

On the other hand, failure to reach inclusive agreement on transitional measures within the envisaged time frames will inevitably delay the institution of a Government of National Unity and exacerbate the country's political, economic and social problems. Should this happen, other ways and means will have to be found to bring about a Government of National Unity so that constitutional reform continues without delay.

We urge all political parties to co-operate in the quest for a just and prosperous new South Africa.

ISSUED BY THE OFFICE OF THE STATE PRESIDENT 
PRETORIA 
26 NOVEMBER 1992

We have removed the pillars of apartheid. All political organisations are now free to participate in the negotiation process. Negotiations progressed to the multi-party level at CODESA, which, with a few exceptions, included most of the significant parties. After CODESA 11 a number of parties withdrew from this process.

Many of the original CODESA participants are ready to return to multi-party negotiations. Others are holding back, while a number of those not previously involved now wish to participate.

The Government has worked ceaselessly to get multi-party negotiations back on track. For this purpose, it has been engaged in bilateral discussions with a number of parties. This has led to a perception among some of the parties that the Government and the ANC are dominating the process to the exclusion of others. There have even been media reports of a prospective power-sharing deal between the Government and the ANC. The Government has always been in favour of multi-party power-sharing, but feels strongly that this cannot come about as a result of agreement between only two parties.

Power-sharing, as a democratic principles, is particularly relevant to South Africa. In practice it means that the party that gains fifty -one per cent of the vote should not

obtain on hundred per cent of the power at all levels of government. There is a growing awareness that it will be difficult for any one party to govern South Africa effectively. The immense challenge of national reconciliation and reconstruction can be successfully carried out only with the co-operation of all leading parties. Their involvement is a prerequisite for peace and stability. To us power-sharing is a constitutional arrangement ensuring that all parties with significant support will have meaningful participation in all areas of government at all levels. A Government of National Unity is accordingly becoming a key concept. The negotiation process has already produced broad consensus on this approach. Top achieve this objective, we propose a constitution:

• giving all parties with significant support participation in the legislature, and all those with major support participation in the executive;
• providing for autonomous, original and constitutionally protected powers in respect of agreed functions at regional and local government level where party support may be relatively different from that at national level;
• transforming South Africa into a state in which the constitution is the supreme law a justiciable charter of fundamental rights protects the citizen against abuse of state power;
• containing further checks and balances such as increased majorities, entrenched clauses, cooling-off periods and dispute resolution mechanisms to prevent simple majorities from riding roughshod over minorities;
• ensuring and protecting the independence of the courts, of judges and of attorney-general;
• placing the armed forces under neutral, non-partisan control to ensure that they cannot be abused for party political ends and defend the constitution and the borders of the country and protect our citizens;
• ensuring and protecting the independence of institutions such as the auditor-general, the ombudsman and the commission responsible for the public service and
• providing the framework for an economic and social system:
• safeguarding economic freedom, private ownership and a market economy and allowing the maximum scope for individual initiative and private enterprise;
• ensuring equal development opportunities for all; and
• addressing socio-economic needs and backlogs in the most effective and constructive way.

The immediate and urgent objective remains free and fair elections as soon as possible under transitional constitutional arrangements negotiated, accepted and supported by all significant parties. To this end, the Government had that process it launched in 1990 would lead the country away from violent political conflict towards a just society with normalised free party political competition and participation. Violence delays progress along the road to constitutional reform.

For elections to be free and fair, it is inconceivable that political parties should have private armies. In the final analysis, only recognised political parties should participate in the political process to ensure a climate conducive to free and fair political participation.

This situation has not yet been achieved. Political violence and intolerance are destabilising our country and frustrating the negotiation process. The Government itself and many other institutions, parties and individuals have been working hard to bring an end to violence. Much must still be done. This requires that our people and our leaders must come out openly in full support of political tolerance and reconciliation if peace is to be attained.

While free and fair elections would hardly be possible if violence were to continue at the level, meaningful progress in negotiations is necessary to eliminate political violence.

PRETORIA