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Chapter Eight - Caucuses

1. 8.1    ESTABLISHMENT OF CAUCUSES
   
       8.1.1 All Members of the National Parliament who are members of the DA are members of the Parliamentary Caucus of the Party.
    
       8.1.2 All Members of the Provincial Legislatures who are members of the DA are members of the Provincial Caucus of the Party in their province.
    
       8.1.3 All councillors in local government councils who are members of the DA are members of the Municipal Caucus of the Party in the council in which they serve.
    
   8.2    FUNCTIONING
   
   8.2.1    Each caucus elects a chairperson and a whip or whips from amongst its own members.
   
   8.2.2     The Leader is automatically the leader of the Parliamentary Caucus if he or she is a member of   Parliament. In all other cases the caucuses elect a leader from their own ranks.
   
   8.2.3    Each caucus functions and takes decisions in absolute confidentiality.
   
   8.2.4    Members must at all times adhere to and support decisions of the relevant caucus and must not differ publicly from any decision once it has been taken except when it has been decided by the caucus that a member may on a question of conscience exercise a free vote.
   
   8.2.5    Members must attend caucus meetings punctually and no member is excused from attending a caucus meeting except by leave of the Whip.
   
   8.2.6    Members must at all times perform their duties in the relevant forum, their duties towards the voters and particularly their duties towards Party supporters diligently and to the level and standard required by the Party as set out in the applicable code.
    
   8.3    DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF CAUCUSES
    
   8.3.1    Caucuses are responsible for the proper functioning of the Party in the relevant forum and may, subject to this constitution and subject to the relevant Party formations, formulate policy and oversee policy formulation by spokespersons.
   
   8.3.2    Portfolio spokespersons shall be designated in each case by the Leader of the Party in the caucus concerned.
    
   8.4    ALLOCATION OF CONSTITUENCIES
    
   8.4.1        Provincial Executives must, after consulting the constituency committees, and in consultation with the representative concerned, allocate constituencies or wards to all representatives.
    
    8.4.2        The constituency allocated to a representative is the area in which the representative must be available to serve the voters and support Party activities.
    
     8.4.3      Ward Councillors take responsibility for the Ward for which they were elected, and they and list Councillors take such other responsibilities as the regional or provincial organisation may allocate to them in consultation with the relevant caucus leader.
    
   8.5    DISCIPLINARY ACTION
    
   8.5.1   The National Leader, a Provincial Leader or the relevant caucus may refer a member of any caucus to the applicable Disciplinary Committee for an enquiry on a charge of misconduct in terms of this Constitution.
   
   8.5.2   Any caucus may, by majority decision, suspend a member from attending meetings of that caucus, pending the outcome of an enquiry referred to in clause 8.5.1.
    
   8.6    CAUCUS RULES
    
   8.6.1   Each caucus must draft and accept a set of Caucus Rules unless exempted by the Federal Executive or the relevant Provincial Executive.
    
   8.6.2   All Caucus Rules must be submitted to the Federal Legal Commission or the relevant Provincial Executive for approval.

“Everywhere the DA governs, we do it better!”

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