DA hopes loser Max accepts leader vote

DA leaders hope the losing candidate in Saturday's Western Cape leadership election will accept the outcome.

MPL Lennit Max failed in an attempt to lead the DA in the province for a fourth time, losing this time to housing MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela.

He was unhappy at the outcome and wrote to the party asking for information about the vote.

DA federal executive chairman James Selfe said the party had given Max the documents he requested, with only one outstanding, and hoped that after Max had examined them he would drop his challenge.

"He wanted to see the voters' roll ... he wanted, for example, to look at the reconciliation of the ballots issued and the ballots cast, and that we were able to do very easily," said Selfe.

Max had also requested a document listing people who had asked for an early vote, and the party was compiling that.

"I really trust that when Mr Max receives that information he will see that everything about that congress was above board and was administered as efficiently as can be expected in any election," said Selfe, adding that the party had developed rigorous systems to prevent challenges to the legitimacy of internal elections.

Max declined to comment in detail about his next step.

"My first comment ... when I was asked how do I feel about the outcome of the congress, I had an obligation to reply as a candidate and I indicated that I did not accept the outcome because I have certain concerns," he said.

"Any steps further, I am not going to deal with the media ... I am now dealing with the party," the MPL said.