National Party

WASHINGTON -- The Republican National Committee plans to lay off about 25 percent of its full-time workers this week, party officials said yesterday.The staff layoffs, which could come as early as today, were termed a "restructuring" by RNC officials. They come barely a week after a midterm election many politicians regard as a disappointment for President Bush and his party.Mary Matalin, RNC chief of staff, said that the national headquarters staff of about 300 full-time employees would be reduced by at least one-fourth and that an unspecified number of part-time workers would also be let go.Those being dismissed will remain on the payroll until the end of next month.

WASHINGTON -- South African President F. W. de Klerk, winding up his first state visit to the United States yesterday, repeated his reservation about a one-person-one-vote system and declared that the governing National Party will continue to be a major force in a post-apartheid South Africa.Speaking at a luncheon at the National Press Club, Mr. de Klerk said he had come to the United States to convey his "commitment to negotiate a new constitution for South Africa."He enumerated a number of goals that his government wants to achieve, including a "vote of equal value for all."

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- In a South African version of George Wallace shouting "Segregation forever," the Conservative Party here declared yesterday that the "white nation" will live on no matter what the outcome of a crucial referendum next month.The Conservatives said they would battle President Frederik W. de Klerk March 17 for the soul of white South Africa in the referendum, which has been called to determine whether the country's 5 million whites want to continue political reforms.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- F. W. de Klerk, the white South African president who opened the way for majority black rule here, resigned yesterday from the leadership of the National Party, which introduced apartheid."

The top leaders of the Baltimore County Republican Central Committee are seeking a resolution from the state party directing its representatives to oppose a new term for national party Chairman Reince Priebus in the aftermath of the GOP's dismal showing in the Nov. 6 election. John Fiastro Jr., the newly elected county chairman, said the party executive committee decided Monday night to seek such a resolution at the party's state convention at Turf Valley in Howard County on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. Fiastro said there was a sentiment among county party leaders that the national GOP needs new leadership in the wake of its election setbacks, which included President Barack Obama's win over Mitt Romney and the loss of seats in the U.S. Senate.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- South African President-elect Nelson Mandela said yesterday he was relieved that his African National Congress did not get two-thirds of the vote, since the result will alleviate fears many people have about an ANC government.The final tally of last week's first all-race election, announced yesterday, gave the ANC 62.65 percent of the vote, far ahead of the second-place 20.39 percent of the ruling National Party headed by state President F. W. de Klerk.With two-thirds of the vote, the ANC would have been able to write a new constitution for South Africa without the cooperation of any other parties.

To no one's surprise, the national Republican party has abandoned Alan Keyes, its candidate to unseat Maryland's Sen. Barbara Mikulski. Even Mr. Keyes should not have been surprised by the decision not to invest substantial resources in his campaign. Plainly he has seen it coming for some time. It is a serious, probably fatal, blow to a candidate who was never more than a long shot.Still, Mr. Keyes' candidacy deserves more than a cursory obituary for several reasons. One is the charge of racism he previously leveled at national Republican leaders but left unspoken in a news conference Tuesday.

WASHINGTON -- Democrats who only days ago feared that the White House sex scandal would cripple their candidates in a midterm election year now say that, to their amazement, the crisis might be galvanizing party loyalists and bolstering efforts to raise money.In interviews over the past few days, dozens of Democratic politicians, strategists and fund-raising consultants here and across the country said that the accusations against President Clinton, at first glance, could not have come at a worse time: The party faces $9 million in debt just as it is trying to advance an agenda in Congress and as candidates are gearing up for the November elections.

WITH ALL the excitement, drama and media hoopla, it's easy to believe that a lot has changed in South Africa. The reality is that not much has changed at all. The end of apartheid is a blessing, but South Africans may have merely voted to exchange white authoritarian rule for black authoritarian rule.Though the African National Congress is usually portrayed as a progressive band of liberators who have brought democracy to the tip of Africa, the reality is that the ANC leadership -- from Nelson Mandela on down -- learned the art of governing at the knee of the white-run, ruthless, democracy-be-damned National Party.

With the United States just days away from ending another presidential election marathon, intelligent Americans are complaining about the wasted time, the distraction, the spent energy and the costs of it all.Once again, we hear the perennial questions, the most famous of which is: "Why can't we do things with less fuss, the way they do it in England?"Let us see if we can give better answers this time.Q: In England, when they have a national election, the whole thing takes only three weeks.