1989 South African general election
The 1989 South African general election, held on 6 September of that year, was South Africa's last national race-based parliamentary election. The election was called early to gauge support for the recently-elected head of the National Party, F. W. de Klerk, who was in the process of replacing P. W. Botha as the country's president, and the new leader's program of reform to include further retreat from the policy of apartheid.
Although it won an absolute majority, the National Party suffered an electoral setback and won only 48% of the popular vote and 103 of the seats in the House of Assembly.
The official opposition Conservative Party, which opposed any form of power-sharing with other races, remained the official opposition with 41 seats and gained 31% of the votes.
Before the elections, the liberal Progressive Federal Party had dissolved itself and regrouped as the Democratic Party and won 34 seats.House of Assembly (White)
The White Chamber of Parliament had 178 members, 166 of whom were directly elected with 8 members indirectly elected by the directly elected members on the basis of proportional representation and 4 nominated by the State President.
The results of the election were interpreted by the government as a mandate from the white electorate to forsake the apartheid system and seek a compromise with the African National Congress and its leader Nelson Mandela.
