Ramaphosa re-elected President of South Africa for another five years

Photo: Sergei Bobylev/TASS

PRETORIA, 15 June. /TASS/. The lower house of South Africa's parliament, the National Assembly, has elected Cyril Ramaphosa president of the Republic of South Africa, Chief Justice of the South African Supreme Court Raymond Zondo said while announcing the results of the secret ballot.

"Ramaphosa has won 283 parliamentary votes, I declare him President-elect of South Africa," said Zondo, who presided over the first session of the new National Assembly.

The leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, Julius Malema, who was also nominated for the post of head of state, received 44 votes.

The election of Ramaphosa, who is the leader of the African National Congress (ANC) party and the current president of South Africa, secured the votes of the former opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), which represents the interests of the white minority in South Africa.

As a result of the general elections held in South Africa on 29 May, the African National Congress won 159 of the 400 seats in the National Assembly, making it impossible for it to gain a parliamentary majority, form its own government and re-elect its leader as President of South Africa.

On 14 June, the ANC and the DA, which won 87 seats, signed an agreement on the principles of forming a government of national unity, under which the Democratic Alliance committed to vote for Ramaphosa.

Parliamentary Secretary Xolile George said the inauguration of the newly elected president would take place no later than 19 June. Ramaphosa is then expected to announce the composition of the government and its programme. It is expected to be a government of national unity comprising a number of parliamentary parties, including the DA.

The upcoming five-year presidential term will be Ramaphosa's second. He assumed the head of state in February 2018 following the resignation of Jacob Zuma, who was accused of corruption. South Africa held general elections in May 2019, which were won by the ANC. Following this, Ramaphosa was elected President of South Africa.

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